What's So Good About Perfection
by Musicalcat98
Summary: Here's my first fanfic to focus more on Aubrey. It's not so easy being the perfect daughter all the time. Thinking she's a failure, can someone change her thoughts about failing? aka Jesse?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here goes nothing! Here is an Aubrey fanfic. I thoroughly enjoy her character and the backstory behind her. Hope you enjoy! Please leave reviews unless you're going to hate! **

**Chapter 1:**

"I am Aubrey Rose Posen. I am not a disappointment. I don't care what my father says." she repeated over and over again. Tears were forming in her eyes as she squeezed her pillow and brought her knees to her chest. "Why can't I just make him happy for once?" she said aloud. She fell onto her side on her bed in her and Chloe's dorm room. She was going to cry herself to sleep until she heard the door swing open and heard two familiar laughs. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to hide the puffiness.

"Bree are you okay? What's wrong honey?"

Aubrey collapsed into her best friends lap and started crying. She told her about the phone call she just got from her father about how he was disappointed with her. Again. Her redheaded friend stroked her head kindly as she comforted her. Aubrey glanced up at her and then glanced at the tiny brunette that was sitting on Chloe's bed. She hadn't said a word. Her face looked pained. "Is that sympathy?" she thought. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes as she sat up.

"Beca and I were just going out! Would you like t-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Hey KimmyJin said you'd be in here!" a familiar voice said. "Do you think I could get those DVDs back? I was going to have a marathon this weekend. I don't really think you and Chloe really watched them all-"he trailed off. "Oh my god. Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Uh Jess. I'll go get the DVDs. Wait here." Beca told him as she slid past him, out into the hallway. Aubrey had tried to mask her puffy looking face, but to no avail, Jesse came walking over.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just trying to be a nice friend. That's all."

"We're friends now?" she spat.

"Ouch. That hurt Posen." He said sarcastically.

"Well join the club." She mumbled.

Beca walked into their room carrying a huge stack of movies. She handed them to Jesse and walked over to Chloe.

"Are we still on for tonight?" she asked.

Chloe looked over at Aubrey, who was huddled in a ball on her bed.

"I don't know if I should leave her alone." She told Beca.

"No no! It's fine! Go have fun! I'll be alright. I'll order pizza and get fat, so my dad has another reason to be pissed at me." Aubrey told her friend. Jesse quirked his eyebrow up. "Was her dad really that mean? Ouch." He thought.

"You sure?" the redhead asked.

"Positive."

Chloe kissed Aubrey on her cheek and stood up to Beca. She grabbed her hand and walked out of their dorm room. Aubrey was left sitting on her bed with Jesse standing there awkwardly with his DVDs.

"You can leave now." Aubrey told him.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Why would I tell you my problems? You're a treble!" she hissed.

"Yes, but I'm also a good listener. And I have all the time in the world to listen to your problems unlike Chloe. So shoot."

Aubrey sighed but gave in. "Fine. Since you're obviously not going anywhere."

Jesse put the movies down on the desk and pulled the chair out. He turned the back towards Aubrey and straddled the chair. "Okay. Begin."

Aubrey started telling him about how she could never please her father with anything she did. She scored a 98 on a test. "Why not a 100?" he would ask. She won class VP. "Why not President?" She graduated second in her class. "Why not first?" Nothing she ever did made her father proud. She was such a disappointment. And now that the Bellas were out of the running for Finals, he reminded her once again how she was a failure. Aubrey choked on her words as she said this. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes again. "No. You aren't going to cry. It's a sign of weakness." She thought as she struggled to hold her tears back. Jesse saw this and hopped off the chair. He sat down beside her and hesitantly put his arm around her, not knowing how she'd react since he was, after all, a Treblemaker.

"Hey. Look at me. You are not a failure. You are a very successful and talented woman. Your dad should be proud to have you as a daughter. You are amazing. You are not a disappointment. He doesn't know how amazing his little girl is. She's smart, talented, funny, beautiful, humble, and everything a girl could be. Don't ever consider yourself a failure. You are far from it." He assured her.

Aubrey turned and looked up at him. "You mean it?" she asked.

"100%." He said, taking his thumb and wiping away her tears.

Aubrey stood up and adjusted herself. She pulled her hair back into a bun and tried to unwrinkled her shirt.

"I'm sorry you had to see me while I look like this." She said frustrated. She put on a hoodie so she wouldn't have to mess with her wrinkled top anymore.

"You're fine. Friends can see friends at the worst. That's allowed. And if this is you at your worst, that's nothing." He assured her.

"Um…thanks, I think." She grumbled. "Well since you're already here, do you want pizza? I can't eat a full one by myself, and Chloe is out at dinner. It'd be pointless to waste."

"Oh! Um…Yeah! That's fine!" Jesse was stunned that she offered. Maybe she just wasn't thinking straight.

"Cheese okay?"

"Yeahyeah! That's fine!"

It didn't take too long for the pizza to arrive, so there weren't that many awkward silences. Jesse sat on the edge of Chloe's bed and fidgeted with his phone. Aubrey went to the bathroom and put on some sweatpants since she wasn't going out anywhere.

"Do you want to watch a movie? It could help clear your head." He asked innocently.

Aubrey hesitated before she replied. "What are you doing, Bree? He's a treble, and you're a bella. That doesn't happen." She thought. "Um…uh…er…I guess that'd be fine."

"We don't have to if you don't want to! It was just a thought." He blurted out. He could see how uneasy she was about the idea.

"N-no! It's fine. That's fine. Why don't you pick something out while I go get the pizza!" she said, running out the door.

Jesse made his way to his pile of movies and picked up one he thought she would enjoy. "Classic." He said quietly. He put the movie into the dvd player and turned on her television. He plopped down on Chloe's bed, figuring she wouldn't mind. Aubrey walked in with the pizza box and sat down on her bed.

"Do you have plates, or are we being lazy tonight?" he asked, standing up to get his pizza.

"Oh. No plates. We haven't been to the store to pick up anymore this week."

"Okay then." He mumbled as he grabbed the remote.

"What are we watching?" Aubrey asked as she watched Jesse sit beside her and reach for the pizza.

"A classic. Pretty in Pink. I figured you would like it."

Aubrey smiled when she heard the familiar title. This was one of her favorite movies as a teenager. The two leaned against the wall her bed was on as they watched the movie and ate their pizza. Jesse caught glimpses of Aubrey. "Wait. What is she doing?" he thought. "She's quoting the movie!" he thought excitedly. A huge smile erupted onto his face. Aubrey definitely noticed this.

"What's wrong with you?!" she exclaimed.

"I believe I just saw _the _Aubrey Posen quoting a movie! Do you indeed know how to have fun?" he teased.

"Oh shut it. I happen to enjoy this movie thank you very much."

Jesse laughed and returned his attention to the television.

When the movie was over, Jesse looked over and saw Aubrey sound asleep. He slid out of the bed, being careful not to wake her. He pulled her blanket over her and grabbed the pizza box to throw out. He turned the tv off and then her lights. "Goodnight Aubrey Posen." He whispered as he opened the door. He opened the door to a very bubbly Chloe.

"Jesse! What are you still doing-"

Jesse cut her off by putting his finger to his mouth to tell her to shut up.

"She needed company. She's sound asleep now. She'll be okay." He told her.

Jesse slid past her and dumped the pizza box into one of the hallway trashcans. Chloe crept into her room with a smirk on her face. "Well! Who would have ever guessed that one!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Aubrey woke up to Chloe staring at her with a huge smile plastered on her face. She felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Hey! How was your date?" she sleepily got out.

"It was good. How was yours?" the redhead smirked.

"What? I didn't have a date. You know that!" Aubrey pleaded.

"I came in as a certain Treble by the name of Jesse was leaving."

"Oh-we just shared pizza since you weren't here to finish it with me. Just two friends hanging out, eating pizza and watching a movie."

"A MOVIE?! YOU WATCHED A MOVIE?"

"Ummm…yeah. We watched Pretty in Pink."

"So you just happened to watch one of your favorite movies with a very cute guy who also happens to be your nemesis…?"

"There was nothing behind it! He was just being a friend! He's understanding. He sat there and listened to me go on and on, mostly because he wouldn't leave until I told him, but that's it! I swear!"

"Mhmm. Okay. Whatever you say." Chloe teased.

"Why do you have to make things difficult?"

"Ah relax Bree. I'm just messing with you."

Aubrey got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She took a shower and got dressed in jeans and her favorite Anthropologie shirt. She dried her golden curls and put on some makeup since her eyes were still puffy from last night.

"Hey Chlo, I'm going to go clean up the rehearsal room. Do you want to do lunch later?"

"Sure! Meet at the tree?"

"See you there!" Aubrey said as she walked out of their room.

Aubrey walked to the rehearsal room in silence. She took notice of all the people sitting out on the quad in the sunshine doing who-knows-what. She loved looking at what was going on around her. Although, she didn't understand how they could be so carefree. They didn't seem to be worrying about anything. Why couldn't she do that?

She was almost to the Bellas' rehearsal room when she heard a familiar voice pop up beside her.

"Hey Jesse." She mumbled.

"What's shakin' bacon? No? Okay then…" he said after taking notice of Aubrey's glare. "What are you up to on this fine morning?" he recovered.

"That's better." She smirked. "I'm on my way to clean up the rehearsal hall since the season is over."

"Do you need any help?"

"I guess I could put you to work." She said.

"Alrighty then!" he exclaimed, a little taken back by her response.

They walked in silence for the short distance to the hall. When they were inside, Aubrey set her keys down on a chair and went to turn the lights on. Jesse followed her suit, dropping his keys on the chair. The lights clicked on with a huge pop.

"Okay boss! What first?" he asked.

"Umm... I guess you can stack the chairs up over against the wall."

Jesse started on that as Aubrey went to the whiteboard. She looked at the board before taking a paper towel and rubbing everything off. She sighed as she completed this task before moving on to the next task. Aubrey went to the piano and gathered up all the sheet music that was scattered everywhere. She thought about organizing it and keeping it for next year but decided otherwise. She took stacks of it to the trash can and threw it in. She wiped down the piano and made her way to keys. She tinkered on a few and moved away.

"You play?"

Aubrey whipped her head around to Jesse standing there looking at her. "Uhh...Just a little. Nothing fancy." She stuttered. "You?"

"I can hold my own." He told her. "You want to play something?"

"I…I don't know. I don't really play in front of people. Chloe is the one who plays it at rehearsal."

"Well I'm sure you're amazing!" he coaxed.

Aubrey sat down on the bench and tinkered on the keys before setting her fingers down on the keys. She took a deep breath as she started a familiar tune that she had grown to love as a child. She sighed as she finally gave in and started singing.

_Slow down, you crazy child. You're so ambitious for a juvenile._

_But then if you're so smart, tell me why are you still so afraid? Mmmm._

_Where's the fire? What's the hurry about?_

_You better cool it off before you burn it out. _

_You've got so much to do, and only so many hours in a day. Hey._

Jesse looked at her and smiled before deciding to join in.

_And you know that when the truth is told that you can get what you want, _

_Or you can just get old._

_You're gonna kick off before you even_

_Get halfway through_

_When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?_

A smile erupted on Aubrey's face as she heard his voice mix in with hers.

_Slow down, you're doing fine_

_You can't be everything you want to be_

_Before your time_

_Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight. Tonight._

_Too bad but it's the life you lead_

_You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need_

_Though you can see when you're wrong, you know_

_You can't always see when you're right. You're right._

Jesse had walked closer and sat down on the bench next to Aubrey as they finished the song.

_You've got your passion; you've got your pride_

_But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?_

_Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true_

_When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?_

_Slow down, you crazy child_

_And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile_

_It's alright; you can afford to lose a day or two_

_When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?_

_And you know that when the truth is told_

_That you can get what you want or you can just get old_

_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through_

_Why don't you realize, Vienna waits for you_

_When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?_

Jesse was looking at Aubrey as she finished the song. When she played the last chord, she could see Jesse looking at her from the corner of her eye. "Take a picture. It lasts longer."

"Oh-um. Sorry. I-I just-wow! That was really amazing Aubrey!"

"Thanks." She mumbled. "It's kind of my favorite song."

"Well that's a very good 'favorite song'! Billy Joel is phenomenal. I approve of your taste in music." He teased.

Jesse hadn't moved from his spot on the bench next to Aubrey. She normally would've freaked at this, but she didn't mind his presence, actually. Aubrey looked up at him finally and saw his dorky grin. She half smiled and raised her eyebrows slightly.

"You're a pretty damn good singer, too." He said cheerfully.

"It's the only thing I'm relatively good at." She said quietly as she turned away from him.

"Hey. Look at me, Aubrey. You are amazing at everything. Don't sell yourself short. You don't give yourself the credit you deserve."

"I'll keep that in mind." She said as she stood up. She went to the corner and pulled out a broom to start sweeping the floor.

"Is it okay if I put some music on?" Jesse asked, pulling out his phone.

"Sure!" she said as she continued to sweep.

"What do like to listen to?"

"Honestly?"

"As long as you don't say boybands, I'm okay with it."

"Damn." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She laughed at the face he made. "I'm joking. I pretty much listen to whatever as long as it's not boybands." She assured him.

"Do you like Nancy Sinatra? You seem like the kind of girl that listens to her."

"I do. I do. She's pretty great actually."

"Good."

Aubrey shook her head as she heard _These Boots Are Made for Walkin'_ come on over the speakers.

"Oh come on! I know you want to dance! I know you do." He said as he headed towards her.

Aubrey set the broom down and heaved a sigh. She gave in and started dancing to the music. Normally she wouldn't do this. Like ever. She enjoyed being able to be herself around Jesse. She was really getting into the song and was dancing around with him. Towards the end of the song, Jesse held out his hand, and she placed hers in it. She spun into him and quickly back out. She struck a pose and giggled right before Jesse pulled her back. She put his finger on his chest and kicked her foot up right as the song ended. Jesse looked down at her with his warm brown eyes. She met his eyes and was, for a first, unable to put thoughts together. She quickly averted eye contact.

"Well that was fun." Aubrey huffed. She escaped from his loose grasp and pulled out her phone. "Oh my god! I have to go! I'm meeting Chloe for lunch." She said, running around to turn the lights off and get her keys. Jesse walked out with her and waited as she locked up. As they neared the tree, Jesse stopped her.

"Do you- do you maybe want to hang out sometime?" he choked out. His palms were sweating as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and shoved the other in his pocket.

Aubrey was taken aback by his question. "I-I don't know."

"It'd only be as friends of course! If that's what you're worried about."

Aubrey smiled slightly and nodded. "I'd like that."

"Okay well, put your number into my phone so I can text you the details." He said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

She put her number in and handed it back to him. "Well, I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah! Um… See you later!" he choked out. He wrapped his arm around her should and gave her one of those awkward side hugs. Aubrey put her arm around him and returned the awkward hug.

They broke away and parted ways.

Aubrey walked the short distance to her and Chloe's tree with the biggest smile plastered on her face.

"What's that about?" the curious redhead asked.

"What's what about?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about." Chloe said as she linked her arm through her best friends as they walked to the café. "It's no use keeping it from me. I'll find out one way or another."

Chloe was right. She would find out. Aubrey sighed and gave in. "Nothing happened. We just ran into each other, and he offered to help clean. Then we sang and danced for a little bit after cleaning. Nothing else."

"Mhmm. What about that adorably awkward side hug I just witnessed?"

"Oh that? Just a friendly goodbye hug. That's it."

Chloe had the biggest smile on her face as Aubrey finished talking.

"Don't say it Chlo! I know you! Don't you dare!" Aubrey exclaimed, noticing the goofy smile on her best friends face.

"Oh come on! Admit it! You, Aubrey Posen, like the one and only Jesse Swanson!"

* * *

**A/N: Songs used- Vienna by Billy Joel, These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

After their lunch, Aubrey went back to her dorm while Chloe went to find Beca. She changed into her sweatpants and a t-shirt and plopped down on her bed. After putting on some music, Aubrey started on some homework that she had been putting off for a few days. After a few hours of that, she decided to call it a night on work. She got up and went to take a look at her pretty decent movie collection. She scanned her movie collection until she saw the one she wanted. She popped The Breakfast Club into the dvd player. She went to her and Chloe's junk food stash and grabbed some popcorn. She headed out to the lounge to use the microwave. There were only a few people out there, but none of them were using the microwave. She put the popcorn in the microwave and entered the time. When the popcorn was finished, she turned to head back to her dorm. As she was walking, she saw Jesse walking down the hall with what looked like some popcorn that needed cooked. She smiled and kept walking, but he ran up to her.

"Hey!"

"Hi Jesse."

"Movie night?" he asked, taking notice of her popcorn.

"Yeah. I was tired of working. You too?" she said, looking at the packages in his hand.

"Always!" he smirked. "What movie are you watching?"

"The Breakfast Club."

"Really? This is weird. I was just about to watch that! Something told me to watch it even though I've seen it hundreds of times."

"That is a little weird. Well enjoy your movie night."

"Well, um…do you want to watch it together? I think Benji is getting tired of me watching movies every night."

Aubrey paused for a second. She looked down at her popcorn and let out a small sigh. "I guess we could do that." She finally answered, as she started walking to her dorm with Jesse close behind.

Aubrey grabbed the remote off the desk and plopped down on her bed. She scooted over, and Jesse plopped down beside her. He leaned over and turned off her lamp as she hit play on the remote. They leaned against the wall and started the movie. They dug their hands into the popcorn bowl and stuffed their faces.

The two of them laughed at the funny parts and were silent during the emotional parts.

Aubrey stuck her hand in the popcorn bowl at the same time as Jesse. His hand lightly grazed her hand. She quickly pulled her hand out and started blushing. Good thing it was too dark to tell. She didn't stick her hand in the bowl anymore after that. Jesse noticed that too.

"You okay?"

"Wha-oh yeah. I'm fine." She said.

"Oh. Well you just stopped eating popcorn. I didn't know if something was wrong."

"Oh. I, um, just don't want to start crying with popcorn in my mouth." She lied. "Seriously Aubrey? That's the best you could do?" she thought.

"It's okay. I'm here." Jesse said with a dorky grin followed by a small chuckle from Aubrey.

Aubrey wasn't lying about the crying thing. As the movie came to an end, tears were rolling down her face. She tried to wipe them away before Jesse noticed, but it was too late. He moved the popcorn bowl to the ground and wrapped Aubrey in a big hug. She cried into Jesse's shoulder. It was this movie. It always made her cry. She couldn't explain it. She just did.

"Shh. It's okay, Aubrey." He comforted her.

"Why is it that you always see me when I'm crying? You probably think I'm this emotionally unstable freak."

"No! I don't think that! I think you have a big heart and a great love for movies. And I also think that you're comfortable crying around me."

She hadn't thought about that. It was true. She didn't care if she burst into tears around him. She would never cry in front of anybody besides Chloe. "My dad says crying is a sign of weakness." She choked.

"I think crying is a sign of strength. The strongest and bravest people cry. It takes a lot of courage to cry in front of people. You have that. You aren't weak. You're one of the strongest people I know. You put up with so much, and I don't know how you do it. I know I wouldn't be able to."

"Thanks for that." She choked out.

They sat like that for a little while, Jesse holding her tightly in his arms. They didn't say anything though. He knew Aubrey would deny it if anyone found out, the leader of the Bellas hugging the leader of the Trebles. That wouldn't go down too well.

"You're a really good friend. You know that?" she murmured.

"That's my job!" he smirked.

Aubrey lifted her head up so she could see his face. He crooked his head and looked into her hazel eyes. They were glistening from the remnants of her tears still. He smiled slightly, and she did the same.

"You aren't so bad yourself, Posen." He joked.

She laughed and scooted back to lean against the wall, and he followed suit. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"You know I will deny this ever happening, right?"

"Kinda figured that."

"Good." She chuckled.

They heard someone at the door.

"Shit."

Jesse slid out of her bed and headed to the door.

"Thanks for putting up with me again, Swanson." Aubrey whispered.

"Anytime." He said with his goofy grin. "Well I'm going to get going! Thanks again for helping me with the homework." He said louder.

"You're welcome! Just text me if you have any more questions." She went along with him.

The door swung open and in popped Chloe. Her eyes got wide at the sight of Aubrey in the room with Jesse.

"Chloe."

"Jesse."

Chloe closed the door behind him. As soon as it was closed, she attacked Aubrey.

"Spill it! I know you two were not doing homework."

"Of course we did homework!" Aubrey said, gesturing to the books that were still on her desk from earlier.

"Mhmm. You're a terrible liar, Posen."

"Shut up! I am not!"

"Spill it!" Chloe said, tackling her best friend. She pushed her on the bed and sat on her. "I'm not moving until you tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell!"

"Well then, tell me the nothing."

Aubrey sighed and took a really deep breath. "We ran into each other while making popcorn for movie night, and he suggested we watch together since we were going to watch the same movie, and he said his roommate is tired of movies."

"Mhmm. And then what?"

There was a smile trying to burst out of the corners of Aubrey's mouth. Chloe noticed this when she looked at her friend.

"Oh my God! What happened?!" she gasped

"We were eating popcorn, and our hands touched, but I pulled it away. And my skin did that thing where it gets all hot when I'm nervous, so I stopped eating the popcorn. But I was blushing, Chlo! I don't blush. Ever!"

"You. Like. Him!"

"You're crazy!" she stuttered.

"Keep going!"

"What?"

"You wouldn't have tried to cover up the fact that he was here for a movie with homework unless more happened. I know you better than anyone else. Remember that, Bree."

"Ugh. You're so difficult, I swear."

"I'm waiting! You're not a very comfortable butt-pillow! Kinda boney."

"Well, you know how emotional I get when I watch The Breakfast Club."

"You watched The Breakfast Club?!" she interrupted.

"Yes. But anyways. I started crying, like usual, and he hugged me." Aubrey blurted out.

"HE WHAT?"

"He. Hugged. ME."

A huge smile appeared on both the girls' faces.

"I will deny everything I just told you if you say a word."

"Sounds to me like someone has a crush." Chloe smirked.

"What?"

"Answer this. Did you want him to let go?"

Aubrey thought for a moment, recalling the memory that was fresh in her mind.

"No." she mumbled.

"My point proven." The redhead said, getting off of her best friend and pulling her in to a hug.

"I can't like him, Chloe! He's a Treble, and I'm a Bella! We all took that oath."

"Oh forget about that damn thing. No one takes it seriously anyways."

"WHAT?"

Chloe shut her mouth as soon as she realized what she said.

"Sorry?"

Aubrey huffed when she heard this. She had always followed that oath down to the point.

"Hey. This should be good news, Bree. Now you can go get him!"

"I don't think I can. We are really becoming friends. I don't want to scare him off. I'm not going to ruin it with some petty crush that I'll out grow."

"Whatever floats your boat? Just don't be too messed up when his broken heart heals and he finds someone else. He likes you, but he's not going to push you into anything. He values your friendship too much."

"Chloe. Can we just not talk about it right now? I'm not sure how I feel about it. Plus you know my father won't approve because he's not in med or law school." Aubrey said miserably.

"Oh screw him!"

"Chloe!"

"What? All he does is make you miserable and controls your life. He shouldn't have control of your love life. That's for your heart to decide. Just follow your heart and not your father's orders."

Aubrey hugged her friend and crawled under her covers. As Chloe got ready for bed, Aubrey checked her phone. She had one new test message:

Jesse:_ Hey! It's Jesse!(: I had a good time tonight. Maybe we should do movie night more often._

Aubrey smiled from ear to ear. Chloe's little go-get-him speech echoed in her mind. She read the text again before replying.

A:_ I had a good time too. We should do this again.(:_

Aubrey turned her phone off and rolled over. She closed her eyes as she thought about what Chloe had said. As much as she respected her father, Chloe was right. He can't dictate her love life. That's not right! That's for her to decide. And if she gets all hot and flustered around Jesse, damn it let it happen!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So just to let you know, Jeca never happened in my backstory. Beca told Jesse she prefers girls when they started working in the radio station, so they just became really good friends. No sexual tension between them! I'm loving the reviews, and I'm really glad you guys are liking the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

It has been a few days since Aubrey and Chloe had their little talk, and more importantly, since Aubrey confessed that she like Jesse. She hasn't seen him since then, but they have been texting a lot. Aubrey is trying to stay focused on school with midterms coming up. It was the last quarter, so she had to do well. Her grades practically depended on it. She would stay in and study or do homework all day long. Chloe finally got agitated with seeing her best friend slumped over her books every day.

"Aubrey. We're going out tonight. You don't have a choice. I'm not going to sit here and watch you pull your hair out over some science crap that you honestly could care less about. Now, go."

"Can you at least tell me where we are going?" Aubrey asked, closing her books. She was actually glad to be getting out.

"Well, I know how much you love musicals!"

"Yeah?"

"I ordered tickets to the midnight premiere of The Last 5 Years!" the redhead blurted out.

"What? How? Oh my God! Chloe you're amazing! I love you!" Aubrey ran and attacked her best friend.

"Well I'm glad you love me for getting you tickets! I couldn't bear to see you suffer another night in here looking at _that._" She said, gesturing to the pile of books on the desk. "But go get ready. We're going to dinner first."

Aubrey kissed her best friend on her cheek and ran to go take a shower. As soon as she was out of sight, a devious smile erupted on to Chloe's face. She had a plan.

Aubrey got ready for the night. She put on her skinny jeans and pink sparkly shirt that Chloe had gotten her for her birthday. She let her loose curls air-dry so they had a little bounce.

As the girls were finishing getting ready, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Chloe exclaimed, even though she knew who it was. "Jesse! What a surprise! What are you doing here?" she shot him a wink that Aubrey couldn't see.

Aubrey popped her head up when she heard his name.

"I know I should have texted you first. I was wondering if you were busy tonight, but by the looks of it, you are."

"I'm sorry Jess. Chloe got us tickets to the midnight premiere of The Last Five Years. We were just about to go and catch a bite to eat before we went."

"Oh. Well…have fun." He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Aubrey's heart sank when she heard him.

"Wa-wait. I have an idea!" Chloe chirped in! "Why don't you, Jesse, take my ticket and go with Aubrey. I had gotten them so she would get out of the room. I don't have to be the one to accompany her." She winked.

Jesse's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love to!" he exclaimed. "If that's okay with you." He said, turning towards Aubrey.

"Oh…um…okay?! Are you sure that's what you want to do, Chlo?"

"Absolutely. And I can have a little alone time with my girlfriend."

"Okay. I'm out." Aubrey said as she grabbed her purse.

When she walked out of the door, Chloe shot Jesse a thumbs up. He mouthed the words "Thank You" as he closed the door behind him.

"Well that was nice of Chloe." Jesse said, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah…it was…"

"Well since you're stuck with me for the night, what would you like for dinner?"

"Oh, I'm not picky. Whatever you feel like doing." She told him.

"Do you like Japanese?"

"Who doesn't?"

They got to his car and drove to the Japanese steakhouse that was a few miles away from the school. They sat down at the hibachi table and ordered their food. They enjoyed the performance that the chef put on. When they were finished and about to pay, Jesse put the money down before Aubrey could pull out her wallet.

"Jess, you don't have to pay for me. I'm a big girl."

"No, no. It's fine."

"Seriously Jesse."

"Aubrey! I want to pay. Really!"

"Okay! Whatever you say! It is your money!"

Jesse laughed and helped her out of her chair.

"Well look at you being all gentleman-y" she teased.

"Don't tell anyone, but I went to manners school." He whispered in her ear.

"Well then. Guys really can't compare to you then, can they!?" she giggled.

They got in the car and drove to the movie theater. There wasn't a big line for the movie since it's a musical, but there were still a good amount of people there.

Jesse helped her out of his car when they got there. When he closed her door, he instinctively put his hand on her lower back. Aubrey tensed up when he did this. He quickly noticed what he did and removed his hand from her.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

The two walked into the movie theater and got good seats.

"The middle of the middle." They said in unison. They looked at each other and erupted in laughter.

"Do you want any snacks?" Jesse asked.

"I can just steal yours." She joked.

He laughed and walked out to the concessions to get snacks while Aubrey stayed and held their seats. He came back with a large tub of popcorn and a large coke.

"Really Swanson? One Coke?" she teased.

"Well you said you would steal mine, and last time I checked, I don't get two cokes." He smirked.

He set the coke in the cup holder between them and handed her the popcorn. When he sat down, the previews started to play. The two ate the popcorn during them, knowing that they'd be too emotional to eat it during the movie.

When the movie started, the theater went silent. It didn't take very long for sobs to erupt from the crowd after the movie had started. Tears were already forming in Aubrey's eyes as she watched the story unfold. She knew the story inside and out, but she always cried when she saw it. The movie had characterized both Jamie and Cathy wonderfully. It was pure perfection.

Halfway through the movie, tears were rolling down Aubrey's face. Jesse noticed them when she grabbed the coke and took a sip. She was too emotional to care that she drank after him. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. Aubrey pulled her feet up on the chair and rested her chin on her knees. Jesse couldn't help but smile at the girl's actions.

As Jamie was singing I could never rescue, there was not a single dry eye in that audience. This show did that to you. No one moved as the credits started to roll. Everyone was still captured by the masterpiece that they had just seen. You could hear people sobbing every now and again as they tried to compose themselves to face the real world again. Aubrey rubbed her eyes and tried to wipe her tears away, but they kept coming back. It was no use. Jesse shed his tears and wiped them away. He moved their drink to the cup holder on the other side of him and lifted up the armrest that was between the two of them. He scooted next to Aubrey and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Aubrey took notice of this but didn't seem to mind. She cried into his shoulder.

"I swear. Maybe it's just you who makes me cry. That makes sense." She said between breaths.

"Well, I'd feel awfully bad if that were the case." He teased. He could feel her smile through his shirt.

Jesse rubbed circles on her back to try and comfort her.

"This show is just so emotional. I don't know why I am so in love with it!" she told him. Her tears were coming to an end as she slipped back into the abyss called reality.

"A crazy musical genius wrote a beautiful piece that people can relate to these days. The story behind it is heartbreaking. We just get so attached to them that we can't bear to see them get hurt." He told her.

The two got up and walked out of the theater. There were a lot of people in the lobby, so Jesse made sure she was close by. He didn't want to lose her. It got a little crowded at one point, so Jesse put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the exit. When they got outside, he quickly took his hand off of her.

"Sorry. Again." He mumbled as he looked down at the ground.

"I'm not going to bite." She teased.

"I know. I know. I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. That's all."

"If I can break down in front of you, I'm not uncomfortable."

He smiled and looked at her as they walked to the car. Casually, he slipped his arm around her waist as they walked. Aubrey couldn't help but smile when she felt the touch of his skin around her. The two walked together back to his car just like that. The guy with his arm around the girl's waist, and the girl with the dorkiest grin plastered on her face.

When they got back to campus, Jesse walked Aubrey to her dorm.

"I had a really great time tonight. We should do it again. But maybe we should watch a comedy or something. Or an action movie. Something that you won't cry during." He teased.

"That sounds nice." She told him.

When they got to her dorm, they stopped outside the door.

"Chloe is probably asleep."

"Yeah, probably."

There was a short silence before Jesse spoke up again. "Well…um…I guess I'll let you go so you can sleep then do more homework or whatever. It's getting late." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Um…yeah…I guess I'll see you later then?"

"I'd like that."

Aubrey was having an internal argument with herself until she finally decided who won. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jesse's body. She felt his big arms wrap around hers. She leaned her head on his chest.

"I had a really good time tonight. Thanks Jesse."

"Me too, kiddo. Thanks for letting me tag along."

They both broke apart even though they didn't want to and said goodnight. When Aubrey closed the door, she leaned her back up against it and sat down. She had the hugest grin on her face.

"Thanks Chlo."

"You're welcome Bree."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I'm trying to write this while following like five different panels at SDCC because I'm lame and couldn't go. And I'm procrastinating an algebra test. So if it kind of lingers for a bit, I'm sorry.**

**Chapter 5:**

Chloe never asked Aubrey about the other night. She didn't need to. She knew her better than anyone else. Chloe was just happy that Aubrey had someone to make her happy. You know, aside from her. Midterms were over and Aubrey was back to her normal self.

Aubrey was lying on her bed, watching her best friend get dolled up.

"So…you really like Beca, huh?"

"I do Bree. I really do. She makes my heart skip a beat and my stomach flutter every time I see her. I just want to be with her all the time."

Aubrey was happy for her best friend. She hadn't seen her this happy in a long time. Chloe deserved someone special, someone that wouldn't break her heart. Even though Beca and she weren't BFFs, Aubrey knew how special she was to Chloe. She would do anything her best friend. Aubrey could work with that.

"Well, I hope the two of you have an aca-awesome time today!" Aubrey teased.

"Thanks, Aubrey. What about you? What are your plans for the day?"

"I haven't got a clue." She sighed.

"Nothing special with Jesse?" the redhead smirked.

Aubrey threw her small pillow at her best friend when she said that.

"That hurts Bree." Chloe said, sarcasm dripping from her vocal chords. "But seriously. You guys should do something!"

"Maybe. We'll see."

Aubrey got up and checked her phone. 3:24. Chloe was out with Beca, and Aubrey was in their dorm room doing nothing. She set her phone down, but as soon as she did, it vibrated from a text message.

Jesse: _Hey Aubrey! Are you busy? I figured we could get some ice cream or something. The quad looks really nice today._

There was a picture attached the message, so she clicked on her screen to enlarge it. He was right. The quad did look really nice today. It was beautiful outside.

A:_ Sure! I'd love to! Give me five minutes to change._

J:_ Okay! I'll meet you at your place!_

Aubrey threw on some shorts and a sweater and threw her hair up in a loose ponytail. She didn't worry about makeup but grabbed her sunglasses instead. She shoved her phone in her pocket and opened her door. Sure enough, there was Jesse, standing outside her door.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"So…how about that ice cream?" he asked.

"Let's go!" she said, closing the door behind her.

The two walked to the campus ice cream shop and got their delicious cold treat. They walked outside and tried to eat their snack before it melted all over their hands. They walked around the quad for a little while. Aubrey saw the tree that she and Chloe called theirs. She grabbed Jesse's arm and pulled him over towards it. She plopped down on the ground and looked up at Jesse. She patted the ground next to her for him to sit down, so he did so.

"This is my favorite spot to sit. You can see everything around here from this one spot. Chloe and I used to come out here all the time, but not as much now since she has Beca."

"It's a lovely spot. I'll come and sit with you out here whenever you want. Consider me your Chloe." He teased.

Aubrey giggled when he said that. They sat there and finished their ice cream cones. They watched all the people that passed by. Sometimes they made up stories that they thought explained their facial expressions when they saw them.

"Well this was fun!" Aubrey said, taking notice of the time which was now 5:30. She stood up and brushed the grass off of her.

"You, um, you missed some." Jesse told her, pointing to her leg.

Aubrey swatted at the back of her legs in another attempt. "Did I get it?"

"Er not exactly." He said, trying to show her where it was.

Aubrey tried once more, but to no avail, it was still there.

"Come here." Jesse told her, and she did so. Jesse wiped his hand along the back of her thigh to knock the grass off.

Aubrey, embarrassed the she couldn't get grass off of herself, looked at Jesse. "Thanks." She mumbled.

Jesse pushed himself off of the ground and knocked the grass off of his jeans in one try.

"You make it look easy." Aubrey huffed.

"Just takes practice." He joked.

Aubrey could still feel the touch of his skin on her thigh. It was practically burned into her mind. What she didn't know was that Jesse felt the same way. He kept replaying it in his mind. Not in a creepy manner, but he could feel the softness of her skin lingering on his fingertips.

As they were walking back to the dorms, Aubrey slipped her arm through Jesse's. He flinched slightly at this sudden contact that he wasn't expecting from her. She looked up at him with her glistening eyes and smiled.

"Hey! Do you want to come to my place today? We can have a movie marathon since Benji is at home for the weekend. We can order take out or something."

"I'd love to!" Aubrey told him.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed!

Aubrey leaned her head on his arm as they walked to his dorm.

When they got there, Aubrey sat down on Jesse's bed while he pulled out dvds.

"Since we've only seem to have watched emotional movies, I figured we would watch something else." He said as he pulled out three dvd cases. "The Batman Trilogy."

"I like you taste in movies, Swanson." Aubrey joked.

"Well you wouldn't put up with me if I didn't watch awesome movies."

"Ehhh. Maybe."

"So, dinner? Chinese okay?"

"That's perfect." She said.

Jesse called the restaurant and ordered their food. The two sat on his bed while they waited on it to be delivered. They carried on small talk, just learning basic things about each other. Stuff they didn't really know about each other until then.

"Rose. That's pretty." Jesse said, admiring Aubrey who was sitting on his bed.

"Yeah. Like the flower." She mumbled.

"Exactly."

Jesse went and paid for the food and came back with two cartons of food. He handed on to Aubrey and set his on the bed. He walked over to his mini fridge and opened it.

"What would you like to drink? I've got water and juice pouches."

"Juice pouches?"

"Hey. They are the greatest thing ever. Evenly proportioned amounts of delicious juice in an adorable package." He said, grabbing a handful of them. "Except the proportions are a little small now that we're older."

"You're such a weirdo." She teased.

"But you put up with me anyways." He said with a dorky grin.

"Yeah, still haven't figured that one out."

"Ouch. That hurts." He joked, placing a hand over his heart.

"Good." She teased him.

"Well let's get this marathon started!" He said enthusiastically. Jesse got up and turned the lights off and grabbed the remote. He jumped on the bed next to Aubrey. He started the movie, and they ate their dinner and drank their juice pouches.

At some point during the second movie, Aubrey laid down and curled up next to Jesse. He didn't mind. It was actually kind of cute. He eventually draped his arm around her.

"You up for the third?" he whispered.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. I'm good." She mumbled.

Jesse got up and put the final dvd in and hit play. He crawled back into bed next to Aubrey. He propped himself up against his headboard as she laid next to him. A huge smile was on his face as she did this, but she couldn't see it. Jesse wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her arm.

"Are you going to stay awake? It's almost midnight. Can you make it?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She murmured.

Aubrey was a liar. She was out of it within the first half hour. Jesse laughed and shook his head at the sight of the little blonde curled up next him, resting her head and hand on his chest. He could feel her breathing become long and steady, telling him that she was asleep. He sat there and continued to watch the movie. He lightly traced her arm with his fingertips, careful not to wake her. He ran his fingers through her hair, taking notice of how soft it was. "Wow, she's adorable." He thought.

When the movie ended, he turned the tv off. He slid out of his head and draped his covers over Aubrey. He thought about waking her to take her to her dorm but figured it would be easier to just have her sleep there. He went to the bathroom and put on a pair of shorts to sleep in. He came out and saw that Aubrey was still there sound asleep, thinking that she might have woken up and gone to her dorm. He walked over and pulled the covers up. He leaned down and pressed his warm lips on the top of her head through her soft, blonde curls.

"You're much more beautiful than the flower." He whispered.

With that, he got in Benji's bed since he wasn't there and slowly drifted asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Aubrey woke up and rubbed her eyes. "Good morning Chl-"she stopped when she opened her eyes. This was definitely not her room. She looked over and saw Jesse sleeping in the bed across the room. Her eyes shot open when she realized where she was. "I thought that was a dream." She whispered. She scurried out of the bed and put her shoes on. She found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a note.

_Sorry I fell asleep. Thanks for letting me crash. I won't be a burden next time._

_Aub._

She put the note on the desk and quietly left his room. She tried to go unnoticed, but failed. Fat Amy came around the corner as she was closing his door. "Whaddup flatbutt?" the Australian asked.

Aubrey groaned and sighed. "Nothing. Just walking around."

"You're a liar. And I know that's a treble's room, flatbutt. Yo Stacie! Blondie's banging a treble!" Amy yelled.

Aubrey smashed her hand against her face as a tall brunette came around the corner.

"What? Aubrey?"

"I'm not _banging_ anyone, and if I were, you wouldn't know."

"Yeah yeah sure." Amy said as she swung open the door that Aubrey hadn't been able to move away from. "HIM?! YOU'RE BANGING HIM?!" she shouted.

Aubrey's eyes got huge as Jesse sprang out of bed.

"Oh my god." He gasped.

"Amy. We are not _banging _okay? End of story. Nothing is happening between us."

"Then why were you leaving his room quietly at 8 in the morning?"

Aubrey went silent and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She scrounged her mind for a good lie to come up with.

"I told her to come by when she woke up so we could work on our music theory project." Jesse popped up.

"Um yeah, yeah. But he was still asleep, so I was going to come by later." She added.

"Whatever." The Australian joked as she walked off, followed by Stacie who shot Aubrey a wink.

When they were gone, Aubrey leaned back against the door and pressed her fingers to her temples. "That…was close." She sighed.

"Yeah, it was." He sighed. He had disappointment written all over his face.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

"No-nothing."

"Come on Jess. I can tell when you're lying and when you're not."

"It's…it's just that you said nothing is happening between us. I kind of thought something was." He stuttered, placing his hand around the back of his neck.

"Jesse, look at me." Aubrey sighed and took a deep breath and started again, "I like you. I really do. I like you a lot. And I'm not exactly used to this. No one wants to date the girl who acts like she has a stick up her ass. I'm just having trouble figuring out what it all is." She took a step closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "I just don't want to tell people until I know what this _is."_

Jesse wrapped his arms around her tiny little body. "Okay." He breathed. "And, Aubrey?"

"Yeah?"

"I like you too. A lot."

Aubrey smiled into his chest and held him tighter. She looked up at him with her warm eyes. "I know you do." She teased.

"And how is that?"

"Because no one, besides my mother, has called me beautiful." She whispered.

"Well, it's true." He said, hugging her tight. "You should be called beautiful every day since you are."

"Well let's not go overboard." She joked.

The two threw their heads back in laughter.

"I should probably go back to my own room, now. If I don't, Chloe will be planning our wedding."

"Wait, what?"

"She's like that."

They pulled apart from their hug although they could stay like that forever. Aubrey turned and headed back to his dorm, and Jesse walked back into his.

"She likes me!" he said out loud to no one.

"He thinks I'm beautiful!" she squealed when she shut the door to a wide-eyed Chloe.

Chloe ran up to her best friend and wrapped her in a hug. "You know?! I was worried about you! You could have texted me or something!"

"I'm sorry Chlo. I wasn't sure if you were coming back here last night. And I fell asleep. I wasn't planning on staying over."

"So! Did you have fun?" she squealed.

Aubrey bit her cheek as she felt herself start to blush.

"Oh my God, Bree! You're blushing!"

Aubrey just glared at her for a second before giving in to her best friend. "It was really nice. We watched the Batman Trilogy except I fell asleep during the beginning of the last one. Actually, I fell asleep on him."

"Ooooohh."

Aubrey's cheeks became warmer. "When I woke up, he was in his roommate's bed, and I was in his. Under his covers and everything. I tried to sneak out, but Amy and Stacie saw and made a huge deal out of it. We blew it off, saying we had to work on a project, but he was asleep still, so I was leaving." She blurted out.

"Then what?"

"Then…I told him I liked him."

Chloe screamed like a little girl, earning a few bangs on the wall from our neighbors. "Aubrey! What did he say then?"

"He said he liked me too. And he called me beautiful again."

"Again? He called you beautiful before, and you didn't tell me?"

"No, no. He said it last night. He thought I was asleep, which technically I was, but I was awake enough to hear him say it after he kissed my head."

"KISSED YOUR HEAD?! GUYS JUST DON'T KISS A GIRL'S HEAD IF THEY DON'T THINK THE WORLD OF THEM." Chloe squealed. "You better go get that boy before some other girl realizes how amazing he is."

Aubrey huffed and headed towards the bathroom. "But first, I must shower."

* * *

**A week later**

Aubrey and Jesse have hung out a little since that night, or morning. Whatever you would like to say. They've gotten closer and more comfortable with each other. Aubrey will tell him almost everything, but some stuff she keeps to herself. He tries not to pry, but he wants her to open up to him.

Jesse knocked on Aubrey's door and waited for her to open it.

"Hey! I was wondering if you wanted to go do something or I don't know. Actually, I have no clue what I'm doing here." He mumbled when she opened the door.

Aubrey giggled and with a sigh, she said, "Sorry, Jess. Chloe and I-"before being interrupted by Chloe.

"Oh no! It's fine! You two go ahead!" she pushed.

Aubrey looked at her funny but went with it anyways. "Well okay then. I guess I'm all yours." She giggled.

Jesse's eyes lit up when she said that. Aubrey walked out and closed the door behind her. Jesse propped his arm out towards her, and she slid her arm through. They walked through the quad and went and got ice cream!

"Ooh! A new flavor!" he exclaimed like a child.

Aubrey giggled at the sight of this as she ordered her strawberry ice cream.

The two went outside with their ice cream in hand.

"Is it good?" she asked, gesturing to the new ice cream flavor he had gotten.

"Actually it is!" he exclaimed. "Try it!" he added, handing her the cone so she could taste it.

"Oh wow! That actually is good!"

"Told you so! You know! I've always wondered this. Does strawberry ice cream taste like real strawberries?"

"You've never had strawberry ice cream?!" she exclaimed.

Jesse shook his head and smirked. "Never thought I'd like it, so I never get it." He confessed.

Aubrey shook her head and sighed before handing him her ice cream. As he tried it, his eyes got big!

"Wow! This is delicious!" he said, getting another taste.

"Whoa there. That would be mine!" she joked.

They exchanged their ice cream and headed to the tree. What used to be Aubrey's and Chloe's tree was now Aubrey's and Jesse's tree. They sat down and ate their ice cream cones. Jesse finished his before Aubrey, so he watched her finish hers.

"You, uh, got yourself a little…" he trailed off as she took her last bite. He gestured to her lip.

She brought her hand up to wipe it away, but she didn't do a good job at it.

"Here." Jesse said.

He inched closer to her face as he said that. Normally, Aubrey would have backed out, but she didn't. He placed his hand gently under her chin and gently tilted it up slightly. He parted his lips slightly and met her warm, soft lips.

Both of their hearts stopped as butterflies took over. If they weren't already sitting down, Aubrey would have collapsed. She fell into the kiss as she closed her eyes. She brought her hand up to his cheek as she felt the sparks fly all around her. This was the most perfect kiss she had experienced.

Jesse broke away and smiled at her. "All better." He whispered. He stared into Aubrey's eyes as she stared into his with the kindest smile on her face.

"Yes. All better." She smiled.

They were interrupted by small drops of rain that had started to fall.

"Oh. We better go." She exclaimed, hopping up off the ground. Jesse shot up and started walking with her. As the rain picked up, Jesse grabbed her hand and ran with her to cover. Now it was pouring out.

"Wait." He stopped in his tracks.

"Jesse, come on! We don't need to get sick." She pleaded.

He pulled on her hand and spun her around so she was facing him.

"Jesse, wh-" she was interrupted by Jesse's warm lips. As much as she didn't want to be sick, she was not breaking apart from this kiss.

Aubrey wrapped her arms around his neck as the rain rolled down the both of them. He brought his hands up to her face and gently placed them on her. Aubrey smiled through the kiss as she thought about one of her favorite, sappy movies, The Notebook.

Jesse was first to break as the rain pelted down. "I've always wanted to do that." He admitted.

Aubrey slid her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. They ran to the dorm hall, dripping wet. Since Jesse's was closest to the entrance, they slipped in there. Luckily Benji wasn't in there so they didn't have to explain.

Aubrey was shivering as Jesse went and turned up the heat for her. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a hoodie, sweatpants, and a pair of boxers. He handed them to her and showed her the bathroom. "You can change here or shower. Whatever you want to do." He told her, closing the bathroom door behind him. He went out and put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He folded his wet clothes in a towel. He was going to go put their clothes in one of the dryers. He heard the shower turn on, so he turned the tv on. He decided to check the weather since the rain came out of nowhere. It's supposed to storm all night. "Great." He mumbled.

Aubrey walked out in his hoodie and sweatpants. They draped her tiny body, but they were warm.

"Uh, where should I hang these?" she asked, holding up her pile of wet clothes.

"Oh I was going to go throw them in the dryer." He told her.

"Oh okay!"

They walked out with their sopping wet clothes and headed to the laundry room. No one was in there at the moment so they tossed their clothes in a machine and turned it on. They sat down on the floor and leaned against the machine. The heat from it warmed up Aubrey. Jesse was sitting down beside her. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he put his hand on her knee.

"Apparently it's going to storm all night long." He told her.

Aubrey's eyes grew wide, and her face paled. She didn't like storms. Actually, she despised them.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong? You look like you're going to be sick!" he comforted her.

"It's just that… I hate storms." She blurted out. "Like I really, really hate storms."

"It's okay. Shh!" Jesse wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." He whispered.

She nodded her head against his chest. They sat there for thirty minutes as their clothes dried. After they pulled them out, they walked back to Jesse's dorm. Aubrey folded her clothes and set them on the desk in a neat pile. Then she curled up on Jesse's bed and waited for him to join her.

When he finally did, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and made sure they were close.

"I have a question." She popped out.

"Shoot!"

"So are we like a _thing_ now?"

"Only if you want to be."

"I think I do."

"Good. I do too."

Aubrey smiled a kissed his cheek. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat and his breaths. Jesse stroked her still damp hair with his hand and rubbed her arm lightly with his other hand.

Aubrey's cellphone ruined their silence. She felt it vibrate against her stomach since it was in the hoodie pocket. She pulled it out and looked at it. Of course it was Chloe. She tapped the screen and hit accept.

"Hi Chloe." She mumbled.

"Hi Bree! I, um, just checked the weather and it's supposed to storm tonight. I was just checking on you."

"Thanks Chloe. I'm with Jesse right now. We're just hanging out in his dorm." Aubrey said. As soon as she said that, Jesse's door swung open, causing them to jump.

"Chloe! What on earth are you doing?!" Aubrey yelled, trying to hang up the phone.

"I wanted to see you, bree!" she said. She scanned the two that were still sitting close together. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight. Chloe walked over to the two. "Nice going, Swanson. You already got her into your pants." She joked, giving him a high five.

Aubrey blushed and hid her face with her hands. Jesse laughed and rubbed her back softly.

"Are you staying here tonight then?" the redhead asked.

Aubrey looked up at Jesse, as if she was waiting on him to answer. Luckily he did.

"Yeah Chloe. She's mine tonight." He said with a smirk on his face.

"Well, have fun you two!" she squealed. "And good luck!"

"Hey!" Aubrey yelled.

Chloe ran out of the room before she received her death sentence.

"Shh. It's okay Aubrey." Jesse said.

"No she's right. Maybe I should just go."

"You're not going anywhere." Jesse pulled her back down and wrapped her in a big hug. "You're stuck with me. And it can't be that bad!"

"Just wait."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

"Let's watch a movie. Maybe if you focus on that, it won't be as bad. Plus, I'm here." He grinned.

"Fine. What are we going to watch?" Aubrey asked.

"Well, to go along with our little adventure this afternoon," he started, shooting her a wink, "I figured we would watch The Notebook."

"You just want to watch a sappy chick flick with me don't you?!" she teased.

"Damn. I can't get anything past you."

"It's okay. I actually thought of that movie when we were out there." She confessed.

"So you're into the sappy romantic stuff, huh?"

"Only sometimes!" she smirked.

Jesse got up and looked around for the movie in his giant collection.

"I'm just going to pretend that you asked to use my dvd and didn't just have it." Aubrey said.

"Please do. This doesn't leave this room."

Jesse put the dvd in and jumped back into his bed. Aubrey curled up beside him and laid her head on his shoulder as the movie started. Jesse wrapped his arm around her tiny body, and she wrapped her hand around his.

About forty minutes into the movie, the thunder started, followed by the lightning. Aubrey heard the first roar of thunder and tensed up. She snapped her head up and looked out the window. She could see the gray storm clouds covering the sky. Jesse wrapped her tighter to show he wasn't going anywhere. This helped her relax a little but not entirely. She was on alert.

Aubrey directed her eyes back to the tv to focus on the movie. She tried her best to watch and enjoy it, but she couldn't. Every time it thundered, she would jump causing Jesse to wrap her in his strong arms. When the lightning got close is when she couldn't handle it. She got up and paced the room, biting her nails as she walked in circles. Jesse paused the movie and turned the tv off.

"Hey. Come here." He said, catching her hand and pulling her towards him. "It's going to be okay. We will ride this thing out, okay? Together. Don't shut yourself up on me." He said pulling her down next to him. "What do you and Chloe usually do?"

"Nothing. We just deal with it." She mumbled. "She just lets me freak out."

"Well here's a thought. Why don't you tell me why you don't like storms! Maybe it will help."

Aubrey sighed and laid back. Jesse turned and faced her. He gently placed his hand on her propped up knee. She fidgeted with her fingers as she contemplated telling him. She was about to when thunder boomed followed by a bright flash of lightning. She shot straight up and started walking around. She clenched her fists, and Jesse saw her knuckles turn white.

Jesse got up and wrapped her in his arms. "Aubrey, listen to me. I am here. You are stuck with me. I'm not going anywhere. Don't you believe me?"

"I want to! I really do! But that's exactly what my parents said. That they weren't going to leave me. Look what happens when someone leaves. You get scarred." She whimpered. She was on the verge of tears, and he could see that.

Jesse gently cupped her face and leaned down. He pressed his lips against hers. The touch of his lips sent shivers down her spine.

"I'm not your parents, Aubrey. I will never leave you. Whether you believe me or not."

Aubrey nodded and fell into his arms. He guided her to his bed to sit down. He took an extra sheet and hung it over the window, so she couldn't see the lightning flash.

He crawled into bed and pulled the covers over both of them. She leaned into him and intertwined her legs with his. She picked at the edge of his hoodie that she still had on.

"You know how a lot of little kids are afraid of storms for a period of time?"

"Yeah. I think everyone was at some point or another." He assured her.

"Well I went through that phase in first grade."

"Well that's normal!" he comforted.

"I'm not done."

"Oh sorry. Continue."

"My parents went to dinners all the time. My father had to since we were on base, and my mother always accompanied him. One day it had started storming, and I begged them to stay home that way I wasn't alone. 'You're not alone. You have the sitter.' They said. Because all I wanted to do was tell a 16 year old that I was terrified of storms and make her hold me." She started. "They went anyways. Of course. I was in my room trying to sleep, but I couldn't. I just sat in my bed crying every time the thunder roared and the lightning flashed. It got so close that it shook our house a few times. That's when I lost it. I started pacing the room to make myself tired, but I heard a snap and a rush of wind. I freaked and tried to run away, but the tree was already in my room. One of the smaller branches pinned me down and scratched me." She said, lifting up the hoodie.

Jesse saw the scar that ran up along her side and part of her stomach. He couldn't piece words together. He just stared at her with shock in her eyes. He saw the tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Aubrey." He said.

Thunder boomed and shook the walls of the dorm hall. Aubrey whimpered and pulled the covers up over her head. Jesse wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how. He rubbed her side through the covers. He slid down and pulled the covers over his head to so he could see her. He put his arm around her waist.

"I don't want you to ever think that I will leave you. I won't. I will be here for you, always." He whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She turned over on her side so her back was facing Jesse. He wrapped his arm around tighter and scooted closer to her. She held his hand and traced her fingertips over his palm. Every time it thundered, she would tense up and spook. Jesse would just hold her tight and not let go.

When the storm finally settled down for the most part, with a few roars of thunder in the distance, Aubrey peeked her head out of the covers. It was calmer outside, so she got out of bed. Jesse assumed she wanted to leave, and he didn't want to force her to do anything. Aubrey grabbed some of her clothes that were still on the desk and scurried to the bathroom. Jesse was sure she was leaving now.

Aubrey came out in her tank top and his boxers on.

"As much as I love cuddling you, and I do. I really do. It was getting warm." She giggled. She set his clothes down on the desk and crawled back into his bed. He smiled and kissed her cheek as he made room for her.

"So…how about that movie?" he asked.

"That'd be nice."

Jesse turned the tv back on and hit play.

_"Why didn't you write me? Why? It wasn't over for me, I waited for you for seven years. But now it's too late."_

_"I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you every day for a year."_

_"You wrote me?"_

_"Yes... it wasn't over, it still isn't over"_

"Ahh. The famous kissing in the rain scene." Aubrey smirked.

"Ours was better." Jesse said, poking her sides.

Aubrey let out a squeal. "Jesse, stop!"

"Oh! You're ticklish? Awesome!" he teased.

"Noo! Stop that!" Aubrey tried to avoid his shenanigans, but he was too fast for her.

Jesse grabbed her waist and pinned her down as he tickled her sides. Aubrey managed to squirm out from his grasp.

"If you do that again, I will lock myself in the bathroom and never come out." She deadpanned. She held her laughter back but couldn't manage much longer. She burst out laughing as Jesse came over and grabbed her. He pulled her on top of him as he fell back onto his bed.

"You, Aubrey Rose Posen, just love to torture me."

"What can I say?!" she giggled.

They crawled back into bed and finished the movie. When it was over, Aubrey was already asleep. She was curled up next to Jesse with her head buried in his chest. If he moved, she would wake up. Jesse pulled the covers up over them. He gently placed his hand on her side. He softly traced his fingertips along her side. When he felt her scar, it sent shivers up his back. He leaned forward and pressed his warm lips against her forehead.

"Goodnight Aubrey." He whispered.

* * *

**The next morning**

Jesse heard a knock on the door. Before he could get up to open it, it swung open. There stood Chloe and his best friend and her girlfriend, Beca.

"Hey! Just making sure you survived the ni…" Chloe started. "Oh. Aww. That's adorable!" she squealed quietly as she pulled out her phone and took a picture.

"You know she WILL kill you, right?" Jesse asked.

"Nah. I'm her best friend. She loves me too much."

"Whatever you say! Can I help you?"

"Oh um…not really. I was just making sure she didn't kill you or vice versa."

Jesse quirked his eyebrows. "She honestly wasn't that bad."

Chloe had a puzzled look on her face. "That's weird. Normally she's pretty freaked out."

"Do _you_ know why she freaks out?" he asked.

"Yeah! Of course! The lightning struck the tree next to her window, and it freaked her out. Never been the same since."

"Yeah. The lightning…" he trailed off.

"Well since you two are alive and adorably cute, we will leave you two alone."

"Bye Jesse!" Beca called out.

Jesse couldn't go back to sleep. "Why did she tell us two different stories?" he thought. "I mean, I saw the scar and the pain in her eyes as she told me, but why wouldn't she tell Chloe that? They're best friends."

Aubrey rolled over and opened her eyes. "Good morning!" she yawned.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Jesse teased as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

* * *

**A/N: yay updates! I'm sorry if this wasn't as good as you were hoping! I don't really plan this out so whatever goes in my head comes out on here. Thanks for reading! I'm glad you guys are liking it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I forgot to mention this. Since this is all AU, Chloe, Beca, Aubrey, and Jesse are all juniors at Barden.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

**_A few weeks later_**

Aubrey and Jesse were on their ice cream date, which was a regular occurrence now. They would frequently get their favorite snack and head to the tree.

"We have been dating for a month now." She sighed happily.

"That's true. It has been a month. A very wonderful month." He told her.

"I'm so glad I have you. I honestly thought I was going to end up 40 and alone with 100 cats to take care of." She joked.

"Nah. You're too perfect for that." He said, causing Aubrey to blush. "You know you can tell me everything, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Good because I have a question." This has been sitting on his mind for weeks. He just had to know.

"Okay, shoot."

"I know you haven't told Chloe about the tree and your scar." He said softly.

Aubrey looked down at her hands and started twisting one of her rings around her slender fingers.

"Why?" he added gently.

Aubrey sighed and looked up at him with her dazzling eyes. "I didn't want to freak her out. I knew she would get all weird about it and go into mother-hen mode. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from you, so I told you the truth."

Jesse smiled and wrapped her in a hug. "That's all I wanted to know. But she is your best friend. She will still love you."

"Yeah, I know…How did you know I haven't told her?" she asked curiously.

"Oh she told me what you told her."

"When?"

"The morning after the storm. She and Beca came by while you were still sleeping."

"Oh." She mumbled.

"She got the cutest picture of you, and she posted it to Instagram, I believe."

"She did what?!" she yelled.

Jesse pulled out his phone and clicked on Chloe's profile. He scrolled down through her pictures a little bit and clicked on the familiar picture. He handed his phone to Aubrey so she could look at it. She stuck her bottom lip out when she saw it. She was curled up next to Jesse in his bed sound asleep.

"I wish I could be mad about this, but I can't." she admitted.

"You need an Instagram, Aub. That way I can tag you in adorable couple-y pictures we can take."

"We don't take couple-y pictures, Jess."

"No, but we could." He said with hope in his eyes.

Aubrey glared at him, but she couldn't be strong. "Fine." She caved. She pulled out her phone and downloaded the app. She followed Jesse and Chloe and a few other people she knew. She'd do the rest later.

Jesse pulled his phone out and opened Instagram. He clicked on the camera. "Our first couple-y picture, Aubrey." He laughed. He leaned over and kissed her temple. Aubrey closed her eyes and smiled. Jesse took the picture and looked at it. "How are you so cute?" he joked.

"Not as cute as you!" she teased back.

"There. Uploaded."

Aubrey clicked on the app and looked at the picture.

_jswanson: And now we can take adorable couple-y pictures. J AubreyRose _

"You're so cheesy."

"Yeah I know. But you like it."

"That I do."

They got up and headed back to the dorms. Jesse walked Aubrey to her and Chloe's dorm. When they got there, Jesse leaned down and pressed his lips against Aubrey's soft lips. "I love being able to do that." He whispered after they broke apart.

"Goodbye Jesse." She smirked as she opened the door.

"Hey guys!" Chloe squealed.

"Hi, Chloe! Bye, Chloe!" Jesse called from the hall.

"Oh no you don't!" the redhead said, running out there and pulling him into the small room that now had four people in it.

"What do you want, Beale?" he asked.

"_We _are going on a double date. As in tonight."

"We are?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes. We are. Beca and I wanted to go on a date with you two." She explained. "Now you may go and get changed." She added, pointing at Jesse who was leaning against the door. She kicked him out and turned to face her best friend. "Oh don't look at me like that!"

"Chloe! I like to be informed if I'm going out!"

"But if Jesse comes to the door and asks to go somewhere, you would do it in a heartbeat!" Chloe pleaded.

"That's because I lo-I really like Jesse!"

As much as she pretended to be upset with her best friend, a huge smile appeared on her face as her eyes got huge.

Aubrey looked down at the ground as soon as she slipped up.

"You love him! Have you told him? Are you going to tell him? I bet he loves you too." The redhead bombarded her best friend.

Aubrey sat down on the edge of her bed. She glanced over at Beca who was sitting there silently, looking at her girlfriend with a stunned expression.

"Help me." Aubrey mouthed to the tiny brunette.

"Chlo, why don't you let her figure it out." She said, getting up and walking to her. "It's her relationship. We have our own." She added with a peck on the cheek. "Now leave her be while I go get changed." She told her, shooting Aubrey a wink.

"Thanks." She mouthed to her.

"Okay, Becs. Don't take too long. I'll miss you."

* * *

Jesse got out of the shower and put his nice jeans on with a button down shirt. He checked his phone as he was about to leave and saw he had a new text from Beca.

B:_ Do you love her?_

Jesse reread the message a few times. Of course he did, but why did she want to know.

J:_ Yes. I do. I can't imagine being with anyone else. Why do you ask?_

B:_ Just making sure you aren't getting serious with someone you don't really love._

J: _Well you don't have to worry about that. I love Aubrey._

B: _Okay. Well, I'll see you soon._

* * *

Beca walked in Chloe's room with a smirk on her face. She handed Chloe her phone and whispered in her ear. "Check my last messages." Chloe clicked on the message icon and read the messages. Her eyes shot open as she comprehended what she read. She was about to say something, but Beca jumped up and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Don't say a word." Chloe nodded and handed Beca her phone back.

Aubrey walked out of the bathroom and saw Beca with her hand over Chloe's mouth. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, yes. Chloe is just getting ahead of herself. Date first, and then we see where it goes." Beca joked.

Aubrey shuddered at the thought of her best friend and Beca, but quickly brushed it aside when she heard a knock on the door. She walked over and opened the door to Jesse. "Hi." She said sweetly, leaning up to give him a small kiss. She led him into their room, and they sat on her bed as Chloe looked for her other shoe.

"Got it!" the redhead squealed as she put on her missing shoe.

The four of them walked out of the room and to the parking lot.

"Who's driving?" Jesse asked.

"Do we want to take two cars?" Chloe asked.

"I'm up for whatever." He told her.

"Okay, well I will go with Beca, and you can take Bree."

Aubrey got into Jesse's car and put her seatbelt on. Jesse pulled out of the parking lot and followed Beca. Aubrey played with his radio as they drove. She turned the cd part on and pressed play.

"I like your taste in music, Swanson." She said as Piano Man started blaring through the speakers.

"You like more than that." He teased.

The two started belting out the very entertaining song.

_It's nine o'clock on a Saturday  
The regular crowd shuffles in  
There's an old man sitting next to me  
Making love to his tonic and gin_

He says, "Son can you play me a memory  
I'm not really sure how it goes  
But it's sad and it's sweet  
And I knew it complete  
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

Sing us a song you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feeling alright.

Jesse and Aubrey laughed as they rocked out and finished the rest of the song. Jesse took his right hand off the wheel and placed it on Aubrey's thigh. She placed her hand on top of his and tucked her fingers under his hand. She traced her thumb over the back of his hand. They rode the rest of the way in silence like that as they listened to the music playing in the background.

Jesse pulled into the parking lot behind Beca and pulled up next to them. He got out and ran to open Aubrey's door.

"Thank you, kind sir." She joked.

"You're welcome m'lady." He joked as he laced his fingers in hers. They walked over towards Beca and Chloe who were walking inside.

"Welcome to Outback!" the waitress called. "How many today?"

"Four, please." Chloe told her.

They followed her to their booth. Chloe pulled Beca in next to her. Aubrey slid in the seat, followed by Jesse. They four of them looked at their menus for a few minutes and ordered their food. Aubrey leaned into Jesse, and he wrapped his arm around her. Chloe had her hand under the table. Something happened, and Beca's eyes got wide. She moved her arm really fast towards Chloe and brought her hand back above the table. Aubrey and Jesse bursted with laughter at this. Chloe giggled which caused Beca to blush. Luckily, their food came so there wasn't a huge awkward moment.

When they were done, Jesse paid for him and Aubrey while Beca paid for her and Chloe. They walked out to the parking lot.

"Well that was fun!" Aubrey said.

"Oh we aren't done!" Chloe told her.

"We aren't" Aubrey and Jesse said in unison.

"No, sillies! We're going bowling!"

"Oh come on, Chlo! You are well aware of the fact I can't bowl to save my life."

"Aw you'll have fun! Jesse, here, can help you!" she winked.

Aubrey sighed and got in Jesse's car so they could go to the bowling alley.

"So you really can't bowl?" Jesse asked sympathetically.

"Nope. I have no hand-eye coordination. Like at all." She confessed.

"But you play the piano wonderfully."

"I just got lucky with that, I guess."

"Well I'll help you. You're going to have your work cut out for you. Badass Beca can bowl." He said.

"Of course she can." She mumbled.

When they got there, the four went inside and got their shoes and lane. They each picked out a ball to use and put it in the tray.

"Okay! Beca, me, Aubrey, and Jesse! Becs, you're up!"

Beca and Chloe bowled pretty well. When Aubrey got up, she stuck her bottom lip out. She picked up the ball and walked to the end of the lane. She bowled, but it went straight to the gutter. She pulled her hands up to cover her face. She felt familiar arms wrap around her and soft lips kiss her cheeks. Jesse picked up her ball when it came back and handed it to her. They walked up to the end of the lane. Jesse stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her wrist that was holding the ball up. He gently pulled her arm back and gently pushed it forward in a straight line. He held her wrist straight out as the ball left her hand and made its way down the lane. They watched as it knocked down all the pins.

Aubrey squealed and wrapped her arms around Jesse's neck. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up and spun her around. Aubrey kissed his lips gently and smiled at him. "Thank you Jesse. You're amazing."

He put her down on the ground. She walked over to Beca and Chloe who were applauding and laughing at her. Jesse picked up his ball and bowled a strike.

When they finished the game, Beca had won (of course). Aubrey and Jesse walked to his car. "Tonight was fun." She told him.

"Yeah it was."

They got into his car and he started driving, but not to Barden.

"Uh, Jess. Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He winked.

Aubrey didn't like not knowing what was happening, but she toughed it out.

They turned down a side road that was isolated from everything else. Jesse pulled the car onto an empty field. He turned the car off and went to open Aubrey's door.

"What are we doing here?"

Jesse didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her to the front of his car. He grabbed her waist and picked her up and set her on the hood. He hopped up and sat beside her. It was peaceful out there. Jesse pointed up at the sky that was a mixture of orange and pink and blue.

"It's beautiful, Jesse."

"Not as beautiful as you." He said quietly, causing Aubrey to blush.

They leaned back and watched the sun go down and the sky turn black. They watched as the starts appeared. Aubrey sat up and pointed at the moon that had appeared.

"It's amazing, Aubrey."

"Jesse?" Aubrey said, taking his hand and playing with his fingers.

"Hmm?"

Aubrey looked up at him and smiled, "I…I love you."

Jesse couldn't help but smile when she said this. "I love you, too Aubrey."

Aubrey closed her eyes and smiled. She let out a small sigh of relief. She leaned over and met his lips with hers. Jesse gently cupped her face and kissed her back.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay so this chapter has time skips because I need to move it along. It's just a filler. I'm sorry if it sucks and makes no sense. Don't hate me. I wasn't sure what to write so I just went with it. I'm glad you guys are loving it! Please review!**

**Chapter 9:**

Aubrey slipped into her dorm, hoping to go unnoticed, but stumbled upon Chloe who was sitting eagerly on the edge of her bed.

"Someone's in love!" she sang.

Aubrey ran over to her best friend and wrapped her in a huge hug. "We said it! We said it, Chloe!" she squealed with tears rolling down her cheeks. "It was so perfect! I can't even describe it! We watched the sunset and watched the stars and moon appeared! Then I told him! I told him first! Chloe what is happening to me! I'm not usually like this!" she cried hysterically.

"You're in love, Bree. Remember when I came in after I told Beca I loved her?" she asked. Aubrey nodded her head against her friend's shoulder. "I was so happy. Nothing could have brought me down that day! That's you now!"

"But Chloe…" she sniffled, looking at her best friend, "if my father finds out, he will literally disown me."

"Well don't tell him yet. Wait for the right time. Ride it out over summer. Figure it out."

"Oh God!" Aubrey whined.

"What?"

"Summer! I didn't even think about that!" she said, pounding her hand against her forehead.

"Hey! You'll figure it out. Aren't you going home for the summer?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to. I might take a trip to New York with mom though."

"Well, don't bring Jesse up around your father, and you should be fine."

Aubrey sighed and hugged Chloe tightly before getting up to get ready for bed.

* * *

**Last Week of Classes**

"Thanks again for helping me pack, Jesse." Aubrey said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Anytime." He said, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

They were packing up Aubrey's stuff for the summer since they didn't have any classes today. Aubrey sat down next to him on her bed. She took his hand and laced her fingers in his. "I'm going to miss this." She sighed.

"Hey. Look at me." He said, turning her chin so they were staring in each other's eyes. "We will make this work. It's two months."

"But we can't even stay apart one day. How are we supposed to go two months?"

"Well, we can text and call whenever we want. Plus there's FaceTime. We can even be cheesy and write letters like Noah and Allie as long as you write me too." He joked.

Aubrey stifled a laugh, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just going to miss this. I'm going to miss you."

"I will miss you too, but we will survive. I promise."

"Pinky promise?" she asked like a child.

"Cross my heart."

* * *

Aubrey lugged her things up to her familiar, old room. Nothing had changed. Everything was still in place, all of her trophies and ribbons and tiaras and plaques. Just as she had left it. She placed the box she was holding down on the ground. She walked over to her wall of awards and scanned through them. She was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Hi, darling! I just wanted to tell you dinner is ready." Her mother said gently.

Aubrey sighed. "Did I even have a life?" she asked, looking back at her awards.

"As much as I would love to say yes, I can't. I wanted you to have a relaxing childhood, but that's not in your blood." She sighed, walking over to her daughter. She wrapped her in a hug and pulled over to the bed. "Are you okay Aubrey? You seem…distracted."

"Can I tell you something and you not tell dad?"

"As long as you're not dropping out of school or pregnant, I can handle that."

Aubrey half smiled and leaned her head on her mom's shoulder. "I have a boyfriend. His name is Jesse. And I love him. I really do. I just don't want dad to hate me."

"Aubrey, that's okay. You are a grown woman. You can chose who you want to date. As for your father, just give it time. He's going to figure it out if you look this depressed all summer, so perk up. Just think of this as a little bump in the road. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I can't wait to meet the man who won my princess's heart."

Aubrey smiled and let out a small giggle. "So? Dinner?" she said, changing the topic.

"Ah, yes. Come on. Your father is waiting."

The two walked downstairs to the dining room and met her father waiting.

"Dad." Aubrey said, with a small nod.

"Aubrey."

The three sat around the table and ate their dinner in silence with Aubrey's mom occasionally breaking the silence to ask Aubrey a question about school. When they were done, Aubrey helped her mother clean up and put the dishes up.

"Okay Aubrey. Go talk to him."

Aubrey smiled from ear to ear. She kissed her mom on the cheek and ran upstairs, closing her bedroom door behind her. She pulled out her phone and FaceTimed Jesse. She plopped down on her bed and waited for it to connect.

Jesse answered the call as he walked into his room at home. "Hey bree! What's up?"

"I just missed you. That's all."

"I miss you too, Aubrey." He said but was interrupted by his door opening. "You ever hear of knocking?" he yelled. Two faces appeared on Aubrey's screen, a girl who was probably 16 or so and a boy who was maybe 13 or 14.

"Is this your girlfriend?" the younger boy asked.

"Yes. This is Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Jordan." He said, pointing to the girl, "and this is Mark." He added, pointing to the little boy. "Or as I call them, kiddo and peanut."

Aubrey smiled at them. "Hi guys. So nice to meet you, sort of." She laughed.

"Wow you really knocked it out of the park with this one, Jess." Jordan said.

"Yeah, she's hot." Mark added.

"Okay, that's it you two. Out! I don't need you hitting on my girlfriend." He said pointing at Mark.

Aubrey was holding back her laughter as she watched Jesse kick his siblings out of his room.

"I'm guessing you're the charming one of the children?" she teased.

"Definitely." He smirked. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, considering."

"The summer will fly by. You can call me every day if you would like."

"I would like that." She smiled.

"You're beautiful Aubrey. I love when you smile, so you need to smile all summer. Okay?"

Aubrey started blushing even though he was on the other side of the camera. "Okay." She whispered.

The two of them talked for hours until Aubrey fell asleep. She was tired from traveling even though she wanted to stay up and talk to him. Jesse hung up when he realized Aubrey was asleep. He hopped into his bed and stared at his ceiling. "I told her to be strong, yet I'm here unsure if I can take it." He thought. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep with Aubrey on his mind.

* * *

Weeks passed. Jesse and Aubrey talked all day and called each other at night. Aubrey was getting anxious. She had to be careful not to say anything around her father. She couldn't take it any longer. She pulled out her phone and called Chloe.

"Hey Bree! How's your summer going?"

"Miserable."

"Awe. I'm sorry. It's almost over. You'll be back in that man of yours' arms in no time."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you think you could help me with something?"

"I can try, Bree. What's up?"

"Can you get Jesse's address from Beca? I can't take it anymore. I have to go see him."

Chloe chuckled lightly and sighed. "I'll ask her, Bree. What are you going to tell your father?"

"I don't know. I'll figure something out."

"Well when you do, let me know."

"I will Chloe. Thank you so much. I love you, Chlo."

"I love you too, Aubrey. Talk to you soon?"

"Definitely."

They hung up their phones, and Aubrey began thinking of a lie to tell her father. She was pondering her thoughts when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Aubrey sat up when she saw her dad walk in her room.

"Your mother and I were wondering if you would like to join us downstairs for a movie."

"Oh…um, sure. I guess." She mumbled as she grabbed her phone off of her bed and walked towards him. "I had a thought." She said, stopping herself from going any further. "Would it be possible for me to take a little trip before I have to go back to Barden? Chloe and I want to do something before senior year."

"If it makes you stop moping around the house like a punished 5 year old, then yes." He grumbled.

That hurt Aubrey a little bit, but that was as close to affection sort of as she would get from him. "Thank you." She said softly.

They walked downstairs and into the living room. Aubrey sat down on the couch and texted Chloe the plan.

C:_ Sounds good, Bree. Just tell me what I have to do._

A: _Just, if he calls for some reason, make it seem like we're together._

Aubrey let out a deep sigh and sank into the couch. She wasn't watching the movie. She didn't even know what it was she was watching. She couldn't get the thought of wrapping Jesse in her arms out of her head. It wouldn't be long, now. They could sit there and hold each other for hours. They wouldn't have to be apart for that long again.

When the movie was over, Aubrey went back to her room and started planning everything out. She reserved her plane ticket and punched in Jesse's address that Beca had given her to see how far it was from the airport. "Oh that's not too bad." She mumbled. She put her laptop away and crawled into bed. She called Jesse for the night and talked to him, being careful not to reveal her plans. As much as Aubrey couldn't wait, she was still nervous about the whole thing.

* * *

The next weekend, Aubrey went to the airport with her carry-on packed with clothes. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before she had to board the plane. "Tell dad I said thanks again."

"As long as you tell _him_ I said hello." She whispered in her ear.

Aubrey blushed and looked at the ground. She gave her mother one more departing hug before leaving.

When she was on the plane, she started to have second thoughts. "What if he isn't there? What if he doesn't want to see me? Why am I doing this? Why couldn't I just wait another month?" she thought, but it was too late. She couldn't do anything about it now. Aubrey pulled out her book to try and calm her nerves. It wasn't really working for her, so she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Aubrey woke to the jolting of the plane as the wheels hit the ground. She looked out the window and saw that it was raining and pretty hard by the looks of it. Aubrey grabbed her suitcase from above and waited to exit the plane. She walked through the crowded airport, making her way out front. Aubrey felt her stomach tighten as she walked outside. She felt some of the mist from the rain hit her face as the doors opened. She scurried over to the bench and sat down. She clutched her stomach tightly as she felt the nerves start to get the best of her. She pulled out her phone and called Chloe.

"Chloe, I can't do it!" she cried into the phone as soon as she picked up.

"Bree, I need you to calm down. Take deep breaths." Aubrey took her advice and started taking deep breaths. "Now where are you?" she asked.

"I'm at the airport in South Carolina. I can't do it. I know I miss him, but what if he doesn't want to see me? What if he was taking the summer to think about our relationship? Chloe did I make a mistake?"

"Aubrey, listen to me. Jesse loves you. You know that. I know that. Hell! Everyone knows that! Now, you go get yourself a taxi and get your ass over to him. He won't stop telling Beca how much he misses you."

Aubrey smiled and wiped the tears from her face. She got up and grabbed her suitcase and walked to the edge of the sidewalk. She saw a taxi sitting there waiting to be called. She ran over to where it was sitting, trying to cover her face from the rain but failed to do so. The driver got out and opened the trunk for her suitcase. When she was inside the cab, she gave the man the address. She stared out the window as he drove down the roads. She took notice of all the southern homes in the town. It was a small town next to the airport. She was lost in thought when the car came rolling to a stop.

"Miss? We're here."

Aubrey snapped back into reality. She dug her hand in her purse and handed him the money. He got out and helped her get her suitcase out of the trunk.

Aubrey took one last deep breath before walking up the sidewalk. She pulled the piece of paper she had scribbled the address on and double checked it was right. It was. She closed her eyes and let the air rush out of her nostrils. The rain poured down over her face as she walked up the stoned path. She could feel the drops on her eyelashes as she tried to blink them away. She approached the door but stopped right before ringing the doorbell. "Come on. You're a Posen. You don't quit. It's not in your vocabulary." She mumbled to herself. She brought her finger up to the doorbell. It took all her strength, but she managed to push it. She waited nervously as the rain still poured, sending chills through her body.

Aubrey's stomach tightened as she heard the lock quick. The door swung open and there stood Jesse. His eyes widened as he took in what he saw.

"Hi Jesse."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Aubrey!" Jesse exclaimed, wrapping her in a bear hug. "What are you doing here? _How_ did you get here?" he asked, picking her up and spinning her in circles.

"I missed you Jesse. I took the first flight here today. Beca gave me your address."

Jesse set her down and cupped her face. He crashed his lips against hers as they stood in the rain.

"So…you…flew…all…the way…here?" he asked between kissing her.

"Mhmm."

"I love you."

"I love you Jesse."

"Come on. You're soaking wet." He said, pulling her and her suitcase into the house.

"Jesse, who is it?" someone yelled.

"Come here Jordan." He yelled back.

A second later, a teenage girl appeared at the top of the stairs. "Whoa. Jesse what is going on?" she asked.

"She missed me." He said like a dork, wrapping his arm around Aubrey's waist.

"It's true." Aubrey confessed. She leaned up and kissed Jesse's cheek.

"Come on. You need dry clothes." He told her, pulling her to his bedroom which was downstairs. Jesse got her a towel and wrapped it around her. "I can't believe you're here. What about you dad?"

"I'm with Chloe." She said with a wink.

"Gotcha."

Jesse walked over to his drawers and pulled out clothes.

"Uh Jess? You do realize I have clothes with me, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But you look so damn adorable when you wear mine." He said, throwing her the clothes.

Aubrey sighed with a laugh and walked into his bathroom. She came out a few minutes later in his t-shirt and sweatpants that were rolled up so the sort of fit her. Jesse threw on a hoodie since his shirt got a little wet.

"See! Adorable!" he told her, grabbing her waist and pulling her into a kiss. Aubrey grinned and shoved her hands into his hoodie pocket. She stood on the balls of her feet so she could reach his lips. "I've missed doing that." He whispered. Jesse wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Aubrey leaned her head on his chest.

"I have too." She told him.

Jesse kissed the top of her head. "I love you Aubrey."

"I love you so much Jesse."

They finally unfolded from each other.

"So…this is your room." She said, taking notice of all the movie and band posters as well as his giant collection of cds and vinyl's and many shelves of movies. "Yep. It's definitely yours." She joked.

"Hey, hey. I'm sure yours depicts you just as much."

"You're right. It does." She confessed.

"Come on. I'll properly introduce you now." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room. They wound up in the kitchen area. "Mark come here." he said to the boy who was sitting on the couch in the living room watching a video.

"What?" he whined.

"Say hello to Aubrey."

Mark spun around on heels and faced them. "Well hello, there."

"Okay, I said say hello, not hit on her." Jesse warned.

"Ah relax Jesse. I'm just messing with you." He stuck his hand out towards Aubrey which she shook. "It's good to finally meet you. Jesse won't stop talking about you. Maybe he'll finally shut up."

"Okay. Go back to your movie." Jesse interrupted.

"So you talked about me a lot?" Aubrey teased.

"More than a lot. I feel like I already know you." Jordan responded, making her way to the refrigerator. "Nice to meet personally, Aubrey."

"You too, Jordan."

"Now there's another girl in the house when mom's at work."

"For a couple days at least." Aubrey told her.

"Jordan, you need to eat something. Don't just drink water." Jesse told her.

Jordan sighed and pulled out a package of applesauce. "Fine." She ran back upstairs to her room.

"Someone is very paternal." Aubrey looked at him carefully.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." He said quietly.

Aubrey nodded when he said this.

"My folks should be home shortly. They will be thrilled to meet you."

"Okay! Oh wait. Speaking of parents. My mother says hi."

"Your mom? She knows about us?"

"Yeah, she sort of figured it out."

"But your dad still doesn't know…"

"No. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I'm sorry Jesse."

"It's okay, Bree." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "It'll take some time. We've got all the time in the world."

"Kids I'm home!" they heard from the front of the house.

"Come on, I'll introduce you." He said. Aubrey walked behind him, so she wasn't exactly visible just yet. "Hey, mom. I want you to meet someone."

"Um. Okay then?" she said, setting her bag down.

Jesse turned around and wrapped his arm around Aubrey's waist and gently nudged her forward. "She won't bite." He whispered.

His mother gasped when she saw Aubrey standing there. A huge smile appeared on her face. "You must be Aubrey." She said excitedly. She stepped forward and wrapped Aubrey in a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you." Aubrey told her.

"If I may ask, what are you doing here? I mean you're welcome here anytime."

"No, I understand." Aubrey told her, walking backing up to Jesse now. "I, um…, I actually really missed him." She said, placing her hand on his chest.

"I'm irresistible." Jesse teased.

"Oh, I'm sure you are." His mother told him. "Well, our house is your house Aubrey. I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you. I will."

"I'll start making dinner. Has Jordan eaten anything today?"

"I made her eat applesauce. I think she had yogurt for breakfast."

"Okay. Thank you."

Jesse nodded and dragged Aubrey back to his room. They fell down on his bed and laid there.

"Curious yet?" he asked.

"A little, but you don't have to tell me. It's personal."

"No Aubrey. We tell each other everything. Jordan is in recovery. She suffers from anorexia. It got to the point where she was in the hospital. They put her in a rehab facility for a year. She's only been out for a few months. We have to make sure she doesn't slip back into it."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Jess."

"It's okay. But I need to tell you this. She might get snippy with you at dinner."

"Really? Why?"

"Meals are hard for her. She is a nice person, but it's difficult when food is involved. She just gets upset, so if she says anything, don't take it personal. She will come and apologize if she does."

Aubrey grew quiet. She can't imagine what their family went through. That must have been difficult for all of them. "Okay, Jesse."

Aubrey got up and opened her suitcase and pulled out new clothes. She went into the bathroom and came out a couple minutes later in jeans and a plaid shirt. "As much as I love you and your clothes, I figured I should look somewhat decent at dinner."

"Understandable."

The two walked out to the kitchen and saw that dinner was almost finished. They help set the table and moved the food over to the table.

"Jordan, Mark, dinner is ready!" his mother called. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs as she came down for dinner.

They all sat down at the table, Aubrey between Jesse and Jordan, Mark on the other side of Jesse, and his mom between the two younger siblings. The five of them passed around the food and began to eat. Aubrey noticed that Jordan was taking long bites, like it was killing her to eat. Which it probably was to her. Jordan didn't say anything the whole time. Jesse talked a lot about what was happening and he brought up Aubrey a few times. She tried not to blush when he said her name, but she couldn't help it.

After dinner, Aubrey and Jesse did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. "Thank you for helping, Aubrey."

"Oh it's fine. I actually don't mind cleaning. It's weird."

"Well let's go before my mom hears and puts you to work." He joked. They went back to his room, which she learned was the only bedroom on the first floor.

They sat down on the floor against the foot of his bed. Aubrey threw her legs over Jesse's and rested her head on his shoulder. Jesse wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and rested his head on top of hers. "I still can't believe you're actually here."

"Well believe it, mister." She teased.

"How long are you here for?"

"How long do you want me to be here?"

"Forever."

"Well, I hate to object, but we have to go back to school." She joked.

"Oh, you know what I mean. I don't want you to leave."

"Then I'm not going anywhere." She told him. She got up from the ground.

"I thought you said you weren't going anywhere?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

"I'm not. But I am going to put on comfortable clothes." She said as she walked to her suitcase and then to the bathroom. She came out in her pajama shorts and a tank top.

"Oh. You're going to torture me?" Jesse asked jokingly.

"Get used to it, Swanson." She said, leaning up and kissing him lightly.

"Pure torture." He said, kissing her back. "You want to watch a movie?"

"Sure. What, out of your thousands of movies, would you like to watch?" she teased.

Jesse walked over to his shelves of movies and picked one out. "House At The End of The Street. You will be surprised. Come on. Let's go make popcorn." He said, he walked over to Aubrey and turned around and bent down slightly.

"Oh! Piggy-back rides. I feel special!" she teased, jumping onto his back. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms loosely around his neck. He wrapped his arms under her legs to keep her from sliding. He ran out to the kitchen with her on his back and set her down on the counter. He went to the pantry and pulled out a thing of popcorn and put it in the microwave.

"We still have our movie nights." He said told her as he made his way back to her while they waited for the popcorn. He put his hands on her waist and leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the continued to lock lips.

They were interrupted by the beeping of the microwave. "Damn." Jesse mumbled under his breath. Aubrey giggled and hopped off the counter as Jesse got the popcorn.

"Come on, bree." Jesse grabbed her hand and walked to his room. They laid down on his bed and started the movie.

Parts of the movie scared Aubrey, so she buried her head into Jesse's side. Jesse wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Aubrey managed to watch the ending of the movie. "Wait! What? Wha- How? Oh my God! What?"

"Told you, you'd be surprised." He smirked.

"That was um…okay, wow!"

"I'm glad you liked it…I think?"

Aubrey smiled and crawled under the covers next to Jesse. She turned over and faced him. Aubrey wrapped her arm around his waist and scooted closer to him. Jesse placed his arm on top of hers and kissed her forehead.

"I'm so glad you're here, Aubrey." He whispered in her ear.

"I'm so glad you're mine." She told him. Aubrey gently kissed his soft lips. "Goodnight Jesse."

"Goodnight, sweetie." He told her.

Aubrey's eyes fluttered closed as she slowly fell asleep in his arms. Jesse watched as she fell asleep in his bed. He held Aubrey close to him and felt his stomach get butterflies. He gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He leaned back and shut his eyes, bringing memories to mind of him and Aubrey.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Quick Update! It's on the short side. So school starts soon, and I have to finish my Algebra class and read a book. I can't tell you when the next update will be. Just bear with me for a little while. I'll be writing tidbits here and there, and I'll try to update as quick as possible. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it! I love reading your reviews! I'd love to read some more! Tell me what you think so far and how I can improve!**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

Aubrey woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She blinked her eyes but smiled when she remembered where she was. In Jesse's arms. She was actually here. It wasn't a dream. She got on a plane and flew all the way to him. She was love-struck.

She squirmed and turned over facing Jesse. He scrunched up his eyes and blinked a few times until a smile appeared on his face when he saw Aubrey lying there looking at him. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty."

"Good morning sleepy head." She teased softly. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his body. She buried her head in his chest and took in his smell. "You smell really good for the morning time." She told him.

"Er…thanks?" he said confused by her remark.

"Just throwing that out there!" she said, looking up at him. She leaned up and pecked him on his lips. "I like it."

Jesse smiled and kissed her forehead. Aubrey squirmed out of bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked jokingly.

"Taking a shower."

"Oh. I'll go make breakfast then." He said, getting out of bed.

"Where are your towels?" she asked.

Jesse walked out of his room and down the hall until he reached the door. He opened it and pulled out a towel. He walked back and threw it to Aubrey. "Pancakes will be waiting for you." He said, kissing her cheek before he headed to the kitchen.

Aubrey went into the bathroom and got in the shower. She used his shampoo and washed her hair. When she was almost done, she heard a door close.

"Jesse?" she asked.

No answer.

"Jesse, is that you?"

Still nothing.

She peeked her head out from the curtain. No one was there. "Maybe I'm hearing things." She mumbled. She turned off the water so she could get out and dry off. She reached her hand out to where she left her towel, but it wasn't there. She pulled back the curtain and saw that it was missing.

"What the fuck?" she yelled. "Jesse! ...Jesse! JESSE!" She yelled. She heard the bedroom door open.

"Aubrey, are you okay? Are you incapable of taking a shower?" he asked through the bathroom door with sarcasm in his second question.

"Jesse, I swear. If you took my towel, you're dead."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. How would I have taken your-damn it. I'm so sorry Aubrey. I didn't take your towel, but I know who did. Hang on a second, I'll get you a new one."

Jesse returned a few seconds later. He opened the bathroom door just enough to slip his hand in and drop the towel inside. When he closed the door, Aubrey got out and dried off. She wrapped the towel around her tightly and tucked the edge in. She opened the door to Jesse sitting on the edge of his bed scowling at the ground.

"Mark." They said in unison.

"I'm sorry, Aubrey." He said as she sat down beside him, clutching her towel to her body.

"It's okay. I just will lock the door from now on." She assured him. She kissed his cheek and stood up. She walked over to her bag and pulled out clothes. She walked into the bathroom and came out two minutes later in shorts and a t-shirt. She pulled the towel off of her head and hung it on the corner of the bathroom door. Jesse got up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on her lips.

"Come on. Breakfast is ready." He told her, grabbing her hand and heading towards the kitchen.

When they got to the kitchen, Mark was sitting at the table with a smirk on his face.

"_You_ are dead." He yelled with a straight face, pointing at Mark. Jesse took a lunge at him, but Aubrey pulled him back. Mark shot up and ran up to his room.

"It's not worth it Jesse. Honestly."

"He's such a little douche." He mumbled.

Aubrey laughed at the thought that someone related to Jesse could be completely opposite.

Jesse made Aubrey and him and plate of pancakes and bacon. They sat down at the table and ate their food.

As they finished, Jordan came in, looking like she just woke up.

"Hey, kiddo." Jesse said.

"No one should be allowed to yell or slam doors in the morning." She grumbled.

"Sorry." Jesse told her.

Jordan opened up the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. She poured herself a glass and proceeded to go back to her room.

"Oh no, you don't." Jesse said, getting up and blocking her. "You have to eat something."

"Jesse I'm not hungry." She whined.

"I don't care. You can eat some fruit and bacon."

Jordan mumbled something under her breath as she sat down at the table. Jesse got her a bowl of fruit and two pieces of bacon. He walked over and set it down in front of her. Jordan started nibbling at a strawberry when she saw it. Aubrey got up and brought hers and Jesse's plate over to the sink. She washed them off and put them in the dishwasher. She walked over to Jesse who was leaning against the counter, making sure Jordan ate. "You're so caring." She whispered in his ear.

Jesse smiled at her and grabbed her head, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I actually think she likes you. She hasn't bitched you out yet." He said quietly.

"You think?" she asked.

Jesse nodded and averted his eyes back to Jordan.

Aubrey walked over to her and sat down next to her. "So what do you like to do, Jordan?" she asked patiently.

"I don't know. Watch tv and blog I guess." She mumbled.

"Well, if you ever want to, we can do something together. Just us girls. No annoying brothers." She said, shooting Jesse a wink.

He was standing back watching Aubrey interact with Jordan.

"Sure. That'd be nice." Jordan told her with a little more light in her eyes.

She finished the last piece of bacon and got up and put her dishes in the dishwasher.

"Happy?"

"Yes. Thank you. You can go back to your cave now."

Jordan rolled her eyes and ran back upstairs. Aubrey got up and walked back over to Jesse.

"You're pretty good with her." He confessed.

"You just have to let her be herself. Safely, that is."

Jesse smiled and leaned down to kiss Aubrey. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he cupped her face gently.

"We're stuck here for the day, but tonight, we're going out." He finally said, after he pulled apart from their kiss.

"Where are we going?"

"I'll introduce you to some of my old friends. One is having a party tonight. I was going to go, but now you can be my plus one." He told her.

"Are they as dorky as you?" she teased.

"Fortunately for you, they aren't. Small school, not a lot to do. The athletes were in music class, so we all hung out for the most part."

"Mhmm. I bet." She said between kissing him gently on the lips. "They liked you for your music knowledge." She smirked.

"Probably. Don't be such a dream killer, Posen." He joked. "Come on. I want to show you something."

Jesse led Aubrey upstairs. He opened up a door that was a little ways away from everything. When Aubrey saw inside, she understood why. There was a baby grand sitting in the middle of the room. Sheet music was scattered all over the place. Jesse walked over and sat down, pulling Aubrey down to the bench. The room had carpeted walls so no one else could hear when he started playing. Aubrey smiled as soon as she recognized the melody. She felt her stomach get butterflies as his voice began to ring out.

_Oh, her eyes, her eyes  
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'  
Her hair, her hair  
Falls perfectly without her trying  
She's so beautiful  
And I tell her every day_

I know, I know  
When I compliment her she won't believe me  
And it's so, it's so  
Sad to think that she don't see what I see  
But every time she asks me "Do I look okay? "  
I say

When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause girl you're amazing  
Just the way you are

Her lips, her lips  
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me  
Her laugh, her laugh  
She hates but I think it's so sexy  
She's so beautiful  
And I tell her everyday

Oh you know, you know, you know  
I'd never ask you to change  
If perfect's what you're searching for  
Then just stay the same  
So don't even bother asking if you look okay  
You know I'll say

When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while 

_ 'Cause girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are._

Jesse stopped playing and looked at Aubrey who had tears in her eyes. She looked down at the keys then back up at Jesse. "I love you. You know that?"

"I love you so much Aubrey." He said before crashing his lips into hers.

* * *

**A/N again: Songs used: Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: quick update. It's one of my shortest chapters, but I wrote it in like an hour, so cut me some slack please! I love you guys so much! You are the highlight of my day, I swear! Glad you enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

"Bye mom! Bye Ms. Swanson!" they called as they ran out of the house. Jesse wrapped his arm around Aubrey's waist as they walked down the driveway.

"It's only a street down, and it's a beautiful night out. Plus there's a 100% chance there will be alcohol. It wouldn't be Adam's party if there wasn't any." He told her as they walked down the sidewalk.

"So you're going to get me drunk tonight, Swanson. Fantastic. Please stop me when I've had enough. So like after 2."

"Hey! I'm responsible!" he whined. "And you could get drunk off of one I bet. Your body is so tiny that a few sips probably make you tipsy."

"Oh shut up."

They arrived at the house and definitely knew it was a party. The music was blaring through the house, and you could hear people from the end of the street.

"Well. You small town boys really know how to throw a party." Aubrey joked as they walked inside.

"Yo, yo, yo! Swanson's here!" a drunk guy yelled as he ran down the stairs and almost face planted on the wood.

"Hey Adam! Aubrey, this is Adam. Adam, this is my girlfriend Aubrey."

"Hey she exists!" Adam yelled loudly. "Swanson's girl actually exists!"

Jesse blushed and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Yes I do." Aubrey assured Adam. She wrapped her arm through Jesse's and held on to him,

"Come on! I think you guys need a drink. You need to get on my level." Adam said, running the beer keg. He grabbed two cups and poured them some and handed them back.

Aubrey took the cup and sipped at her beer. She felt the rush of the alcohol in her body. Jesse was right. It doesn't take much. She stopped and paced herself so she didn't get wasted.

Jesse pulled Aubrey around and introduced her to all of his friends.

"It's nice to meet you." Aubrey would say with a kind smile.

Jesse grabbed another beer as Aubrey made sure she didn't down hers. Aubrey leaned against Jesse as they watched everyone around them. Everyone started to cheer when Some Nights came on over the surround sound. Jesse started belting out the words with everyone else.

"Oh my god! Jess, you're drunk!" Aubrey laughed.

"I'm not drunk. You're just blurry." He told her, grabbing another beer.

Aubrey looked up at Jesse who was getting into the song. She set her beer down so she wouldn't drink anymore.

"Dude how many has he had?" Adam asked.

"Three I think."

"He doesn't party at school, does he…"

"Nope. He's pretty lame and stays with me."

"That explains why he's like this with three beers."

"Yeah. If he keeps it up, he's going home. I don't mean to be all mother-y and shit, but he's going to regret this tomorrow."

"Nahh. Don't be such a party pooper, Aubrey. It is Aubrey, right?"

"Yes it is."

"Relax and finish your beer." He nodded at her cup that was on the counter.

Aubrey sighed and picked up her cup. She took a few more sips and felt the cool liquid enter her body and spread throughout her.

"Aubrey! Awwww-breeeee!" Jesse yelled.

"Oh god. Yes, Jesse?"

"I love you." He slurred.

"I love you too. Even when you're drunk."

"Like I said, I'm not drunk."

If Jesse hadn't have stumbled when walking over to Aubrey, he could pass for a tipsy person.

"Okay, Jesse. We've been here for a few hours, and you're drunk. It's time to go home."

"You're no fun, bree." He pouted, setting his beer on the counter.

Aubrey helped Jesse out of the house into the cool of night. She wrapped her arm around his waist. She grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her shoulder to keep him from falling.

"You're so beautiful in the moonlight. I love you, you know. I'm responsible." He slurred.

"Sure are!"

"I, Jesse Dean Swanson, am going to marry you, Aubrey Rose Posen. I don't know when, and I don't care either. You're one of those a Capella girls. I'm one of those a Capella guys. We're gonna have aca-children. It's inevitable." He carried on.

"You're going to regret this in the morning." Aubrey muttered.

They got back to Jesse's house twenty minutes later. Aubrey walked him into his room and helped him into his bed. She pulled off his shoes and shirt. She pulled the covers up over to him. Aubrey walked to kitchen and poured a glass of water. Then, she walked upstairs and knocked on Jordan's door.

"Hey, I know it's late, but do you guys have aspirin anywhere?"

"Adam's?" she asked.

"Yeah…"

Jordan walked into the upstairs bathroom and got two aspirin and handed them to Aubrey.

"Thanks so much!"

"If you don't want to put up with drunk Jesse, I have a pullout bed that I keep made up all the time. That way you can get some sleep." Jordan offered.

"I might just take you up on that. Let me go run this to him, and I'll be right up."

Aubrey ran downstairs and set the water and aspirin on Jesse's nightstand. She changed into pajama pants and a tshirt and went back to Jordan's room. She opened the door quietly.

"Oh, here you go." Jordan said, gesturing to the bed she pulled out for Aubrey.

"Thanks. You're pretty cool. I always thought the sisters didn't like their brothers' girlfriends."

"Eh. Only if they act like total bitches, which you aren't."

"Good to know, I think." She said, crawling under the covers.

Jordan turned the light out and crawled into her own bed. She rolled over and faced Aubrey, not that she could actually see her, just her figure. "Hey Aubrey?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love him?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

"Do you think everyone will find love?"

"I think there's someone out there for everyone. Some people find who they are supposed to spend the rest of their life with before others. You're what? 16?"

"15."

"You've got plenty of time to figure out love. I mean we're 22 and just found each other."

"I don't think anyone could love me though. I'm damaged."

Aubrey's eyes swelled up with tears as she heard her say this. "You're not damaged. You're scarred. No one is perfect. We all have flaws. Me? I'm a perfectionist who has a father that won't even look her in the eye because she barfed on stage. Some people experience pain in more ways than others. That doesn't mean no one loves them. One day you'll meet your Prince Charming, and he will sweep you off his feet and you can ride into the sunset together." Aubrey told her with a little giggle at the end.

"Thank you, Aubrey. You're actually really cool."

"If you ever just need a girl to talk to, you can always come see me."

"Thanks."

"Goodnight Jordan."

"Goodnight Aubrey."

Aubrey turned over and closed her eyes. Jordan had just opened up to her. "She probably hasn't opened up to anybody in a while. It has to be difficult for her." Aubrey thought. She slowed her breathing down and drifted to sleep. She was exhausted from tonight.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: sorry for the wait! I'm busy! And school started this week *cue tears and last minute summer work* I will do my best to stay on top of it! **

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

"Why do you wake up so early?" Jesse mumbled as he slumped through the kitchen, trying to get a cup of coffee. He looked over at Aubrey who was sitting at the table with coffee as she was on her phone.

"Force of habit." Aubrey muttered. "Sleeping in was unheard of in the Posen household." She added.

"Well, I'm going to teach you how to sleep in."

"Uh, Jess? I don't think that is something you can exactly teach a person."

"Trust me. You will be sleeping in tomorrow." He teased.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and continued scrolling through her phone. "So, I was thinking I would take Jordan to do something today. Just me and her. Would that be alright with you?" she asked, looking up at Jesse who had sat down next to her.

"I think she would like that. She really likes you, Bree."

"What should I do though? Like what does she do for fun?"

"Not a lot honestly. She hasn't been up for doing things since she's been home."

"So no clues as to what she might enjoy?"

"I actually might have an idea. She used to ride horses. There's this barn a little ways from here that mom used to take her to all the time to ride. She loved it. She stopped going when she started…you know...but I think she would like it."

"Horses, huh?" Aubrey pondered. She didn't grow up in a small, urban town. She didn't grow up riding, but if Jordan would enjoy it, she's willing. "I guess that's fun."

"I tell you what, I'll take you guys since you don't exactly know where the barn is, and I'll pick you up when you're ready."

"That sounds good." Aubrey told him, talking her last sip of coffee.

They heard footsteps shuffling down the stairs. They turned their heads to see who was up relatively early for summer. A very sleepy looking Jordan came around the corner, into the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and sat down at the table. She placed her head on the table and closed her eyes.

"Tired?" Jesse asked.

"Extremely. Couldn't sleep." She mumbled, not moving her head at all.

"Well, Aubrey thought the two of you could hang out today. So whenever you start functioning, you can get dressed and ready to go."

Jordan shrugged her shoulders and opened her eyes slightly. "What are we doing?" she asked, looking over at Aubrey.

"Well, Jesse said you used to love to ride horses. He suggested we go to the barn! It'll be fun!"

"You know how to ride?"

"Well… not really, but you can teach me. I'm sure you are very good."

Jordan stared at Aubrey for a few seconds and shrugged her shoulders again. "Alright, city girl." She said.

Aubrey got up and walked to Jesse's room and got dressed. She threw on a pair of jeans and her favorite t-shirt. Jesse had given it to her a few days after she had arrived on his doorstep. It was an original Billy Joel shirt from the Behind the Red Curtain tour in 1982.

"My friend said his mom was giving it away, but he took it since he knew its worth. He let me buy it off of him. I don't actually think she's ever worn it." He had told her as she unwrapped the small bundle he handed her. "Jesse!" she gasped. "I love it! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Aubrey walked back out to where Jesse was sitting. They were now waiting on Jordan. "I like that shirt." He teased.

"Thanks. My boyfriend got it." She winked.

Jesse leaned over and gently kissed Aubrey's lips. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stared into her eyes.

"What?" Aubrey broke.

"Nothing. Just admiring." He admitted with a small smile.

"Like what you see?" she joked.

"No." he said with a straight face.

Aubrey's smile dropped as she stared at Jesse with a confused expression.

"I love what I see." He said when he saw how pained and confused she was.

"Please remind me why I am here." She mumbled.

"Because you love me." Jesse told her. He got up and kissed the top of her head as he went to go throw clothes on.

"Mhmm." Aubrey grumbled.

Jordan came running down the stairs in some jeans and a tank top. She was trying to put her foot in her other boot, but she failed and fell on her butt. She and Aubrey busted out in laughter. Aubrey got up helped her off the ground. "Watch out Grace." She teased.

"You two ready?" Jesse asked as he walked in next to the girls who were still in laughter.

"Um yeah, I think so. We good?"

"Yeah. I'll just grab some water bottles." Jordan said.

* * *

"Hi. My name is Kirsten." A bubbly lady said, sticking her hand out towards Aubrey. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Aubrey said kindly.

"Nice to see you back here, Jordan." Kirsten said. "You must be Jesse?" she asked.

"Oh uh, yeah. Nice to meet you." He told her, offering her his hand to shake.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know. You can find me either in the office or in the arena. I pulled a few horses out for you guys just to give you some options." She said. "Oh, and Reo is out there, Jordan." She added with a kind smile.

Jordan's eyes lit up as she heard the familiar name. "Come on Aubrey!" she said like a little girl in a store.

They walked over to the pen where the horses were. A chestnut colored horse walked over to Jordan as she stuck her arm through the fence. "Hey boy. I've missed you so much. I didn't mean to leave you. Do you forgive me?" she said softly. The horse nuzzled his nose against her hand as she finished. "Good. I'm glad." She added.

Jordan unlocked the gate and walked in. She hooked a lead to Reo's halter and led him out. She tied him to the post and let him graze as she turned her focus to Aubrey. "Okay, city girl. Here's how it's done. I'll walk in with you but you have to connect with the horse you will ride. You can't force it, you understand?"

"I think so, yeah." Aubrey swallowed. She grew up in the city, and these were big horses. She followed Jordan inside the pen and glanced back at Jesse who was leaning against the fence watching them. He gave her a thumbs up and a smile. Aubrey turned back and looked at the horses that were in the pen.

"Now hold out your hand with you palm open and your fingers together." Jordan instructed. Aubrey followed her orders and held her hand out. Jordan made a clicking noise and got the horses attention. Aubrey tensed up as they started walking towards her. "Aubrey, relax. They can sense fear. It makes them nervous. They aren't going to hurt you."

Aubrey relaxed a little and kept her arm out. One of the horses came up and put its nose on her hand. She smiled when she felt the warm breath on her fingers. She slowly moved her hand and petted its nose as she had seen Jordan do earlier with Reo. She stroked its face as she relaxed more.

"He likes you." Jordan smiled. She clipped the lead on his halter and led him out of the pen for Aubrey. She handed her the lead and went to untie Reo. They walked into the barn together, and Jordan showed her how to hook him to the ties so they could saddle up.

"Comanche. Nice choice Aubrey!" Kirsten said, walking over towards them. "He's a jumper." She added.

Aubrey's eyes got huge when she said that. "Wh-what?" she stuttered.

Kirsten saw the look on her face and almost died from laughing. "I'm so sorry! He does competitive jumping. Not like jump, jump! I forgot you weren't used to this."

"Hah. Okay thanks." Aubrey mumbled. Jordan showed her how to brush Comanche down and saddle him before doing the same to Reo.

"You staying, Jess?" Jordan asked as they led their horses to the arena.

"I might for a little. Then I'll head home." He told her.

Jordan and Kirsten helped Aubrey up on Comanche and got her situated. Jordan hopped up on Reo like she was born doing it. Jordan showed Aubrey how to hold her reins and how to make him move. As soon as she did so, Comanche started walking forward.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, grabbing her reins tightly! Comanche came to a halt. "Wait, what?"

Kirsten doubled over in laughter at this and Jordan chuckled slightly.

"He is word-trained as well. You can say walk, trot, whoa, and he does that." Kirsten explained to a confused Aubrey.

"Gotcha." Aubrey remarked. She loosened her grip on the reins and said "Walk." A smile appeared on her face as Comanche started walking around the arena. She felt accomplished since she'd never ridden before. Jordan caught up next to her on Reo.

"Having fun?"

"Yeah! This is really amazing! I feel free. Does that make sense?" Aubrey chuckled.

Jordan laughed, "Yeah it does. You aren't worried about the world. It's just you and the horse."

"Yeah." Aubrey said under her breath.

"You want to make him go a little faster?" Jordan asked excitedly.

Aubrey tightened her reins slightly. "Sure." She muttered.

"Okay. All you have to do is say t-r-o-t. Don't bounce in your saddle though. You'll have to post."

"Post?" Aubrey asked with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, you rise in your seat on the even beats. You don't have to worry about leads right now, but it'll be 2 beats. You'll feel it. It comes natural, so on beat 2, you just stand up and squeeze your butt together, but keep your heels down. Make sense?"

"Uh I think so." Aubrey stuttered.

"He knows what he's doing. You can watch me if you want."

"Oh, I like that idea first!" Aubrey joked.

"Trot, Reo." Jordan said. Immediately, Reo picked up his pace. Aubrey watched as Jordan rose in her saddle when it was beat two. Jordan rode around and slowed to a walk as she neared Aubrey. "You ready?" she asked.

"Yeah! Trot, Comanche." Aubrey said to her horse. His pace increased, and Aubrey bumped around in her saddle for a few seconds until she got on beat. She rose in her saddle on the 2nd beat of his pace.

"Good job, Bree!" Jordan called from across the ring.

"Whoa boy." Aubrey said quietly to Comanche who instantly slowed to a walk. "That was fun!" she told Jordan who was sitting, waiting on her to come over.

"Hey girls, you might want to come in! It looks like it's about to st-" Kirsten called but was interrupted by a large roar of thunder.

It was too late. Comanche flipped. He got nervous which caused Aubrey to tense up.

"Aubrey, relax." Jordan commanded, getting off of Reo and trying to grab Comanche. He started to rear slightly. Aubrey freaked and let go of the reins in fear of her causing him to rear. He reared again as Jordan tried to grab his headgear. Aubrey slid backwards, off of Comanche who Jordan now had a hold of. Kirsten came running over and grabbed the horses as Jordan and Jesse came running to Aubrey.

"Are you okay Aubrey? I'm so sorry! This was dumb" Jordan cried with tears down her cheeks.

"Jordan, I'm fine." Aubrey assured her. "A little embarrassed and my ass hurts, but I'll live."

Jesse ran and knelt beside her. "Okay I gotta admit, that was pretty funny." He chuckled. "But are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, but if you bring this up, you'll need the hospital." Aubrey gritted. "Now help me up."

Jesse wrapped one arm around her back and his other under her knees. He stood up and adjusted her weight in his arms.

"This works too." She teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jesse planted a kiss on the side of her head as we walked out of the arena.

"You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine Jesse. I just have a pain in my ass. Literally."

Jesse laughed and set her down on a chair.

"I'm really sorry about that Aubrey!" Kirsten said. "The weather said sunny, but I saw the clouds, so I was going to call you in, but it thundered. That's his fear. He can handle almost anything except thunder."

"Sounds like somebody else I know." Jesse teased.

Aubrey shot him a death glare and focused her attention back to Kirsten. "It's okay. Honestly. I had fun today. Maybe didn't end as expected, but still fun nonetheless." Aubrey assured her.

Jordan brushed down the horses and Aubrey helped walk them to their stalls. When she led Comanche into his, she stopped for a second and admired him. Such a big, strong, and beautiful creature, and he had fears just like humans. She stroked his face softly and whispered, "it's okay boy. I'm scared of storms too," and with that she closed his stall door.

Aubrey limped back to Jesse with Jordan close behind. She was looking around at everything that was once a second home to her. It didn't feel right.

"Let's get you home and get some ice. You're going to have a bruise." Jesse told Aubrey as they walked up to him.

"I can already feel it." She winced.

* * *

Jesse carried Aubrey into the house, and Jordan got her an icepack and handed it to her. Aubrey shoved it between the waistline of her jeans so it sat on her tailbone. She winced as the cold set upon her skin. "This will work better with sweatpants on." Aubrey groaned as she hopped off the chair. Jesse walked her to his room so she could fish out a pair of sweatpants. He turned away as she struggled to slide out of her jeans. He could hear her jumping around until he heard a large thump. Laughter bursted out from him as he turned and saw Aubrey sitting on the ground with her jeans around her ankles. Aubrey blushed when Jesse laughed at her. He walked over to her and pulled her jeans off of her ankles.

"You are something else, Posen." He said, shaking his head at her.

"Oh shut up." She teased. She slipped her legs into her sweatpants and pulled them up. Jesse held out his hand to pull her up. "Yep, definitely going to have a bruise. I probably already do." She said, turning her head around but struggling when she couldn't see it. She stuck her bottom lip out when she finally gave up.

"Oh come here." Jesse told her. Aubrey walked over to him, and he turned her around. He lifted up the bottom of her t-shirt and lowered the top of her pants just enough to see the bruise that was forming. "Oh yes. It's there." He smirked.

Aubrey groaned and turned around into Jesse's arms. "I'm definitely not a country girl."

"No you're not. But I love you anyways." He said, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you too Jesse." She mumbled into his chest.

Jesse placed a kiss on top of her head and rubbed small circles on her back. "I'd love you either way." He told her.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Okay, so updates won't be as frequent because of school and band. My schedule isn't bad but being in IB kills so I have a good chunk of homework. Plus I have marching band, show choir, and theatre that I'm doing so I'm busy. I think about what to write during school and jot stuff down and then tell Alexis. Yay! Okay, I'll stop talking now. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Aubrey pressed her fingers to her temple and rubbed small circles. She stayed with Jesse longer than she should have. Now it was time for school to start.

"Aubrey, are you okay?" Jesse asked.

"Not really. School is starting which means I have to go home."

"Why? You can come with me."

"I have to pack for school, Jess. I came here and left all of my things there." She spat.

"Hey, it's okay. I can go and help you pack! No big deal!" he tried.

Aubrey's head popped up and her eyes got huge. "No Jesse. Don't do that!" she told him. "I don't want to deal with my father. I just want to go get my stuff and leave." She added with tears forming in her eyes.

Jesse wrapped his arms around Aubrey as she took deep breaths and wiped her tears away. "Shh. It's okay Aub. I can go as your friend. He doesn't have to know."

"He'll figure it out. You don't know my father." She mumbled.

"You're right. I want to though, and if not as your boyfriend, then as your friend. I'm going with you Aubrey. I'm not going to make you go through that alone." He assured her.

Aubrey sighed. She knew Jesse wouldn't back down. He had his mind set, and there's no changing that. "Okay." She mumbled.

Jesse kissed her forehead and held her in his arms. Aubrey was going so far out of her comfort zone now, and he knew that.

Aubrey and Jesse packed up his car and started their 6 hour drive to Atlanta.

"You ready?" Jesse asked, placing his hand on Aubrey's leg.

"If I say no, can we just drive past and go to school?"

"It'll be fine, Aub. Don't worry." He comforted. Jesse leaned over and kissed Aubrey softly before pulling out of the driveway.

"Jesse, I don't think I can do this." Aubrey panicked as they approached her house.

"Is this it?" he asked, pointing to the familiar house Aubrey dreaded.

She nodded and put her head in her hands.

Jesse pulled in and turned the car off. "Aubrey, look at me." He begged. She wouldn't budge.

He got out of the car and went to her door. He opened it and bent down so he was a little lower than her. He gently turned her chin so she was looking at him. Her eyes were starting to get puffy as tears piled up, but she wasn't letting them fall. He gently took his thumbs and wiped them from her eyes. "It's going to be okay. Come here." He said, holding out his hand to help her out of the car. She sighed and took his hand and got out of the car. Jesse pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead softly. "We can do this, Aubrey. We aren't telling him that we are dating. I'm just helping you get your stuff." He said, trying to comfort her. He rubbed his hands gently up and down her arms. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

Aubrey closed her eyes as she kissed Jesse. The stress from all of this went away as their lips met. He could do that. He could make her forget about everything.

"Okay." She whispered with a slight smile.

Jesse closed her door and followed her to the front door of the house. Aubrey opened the door and they walked in.

"Wait here." Aubrey told him as she walked into another room, leaving Jesse standing awkwardly in front of the door.

"Mom, I'm home!" she called.

"Aubrey? Is that you?" a familiar voice called. "Oh Aubrey, Welcome back!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

Aubrey smiled at her mother and flickered her eyes to the foyer where Jesse was standing. Her mother followed her eyes and walked out to the foyer. A smile appeared on her face as she took in the sight. "You must be Jesse." She exclaimed quietly.

Jesse smiled and extended his hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Posen."

Aubrey smiled as her mother ignored his hand and wrapped Jesse in a hug. "I'm glad I've finally gotten to meet the one who stole my daughter's heart." She whispered.

Jesse smiled. "For right now, I'm a friend." He winked.

"Is dad home?" Aubrey piped in.

"Yes. He is upstairs."

Aubrey caught her breath as she heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. "We might as well get this over with." She thought. She glanced over at Jesse to make sure he was still standing there. He was.

Jesse noticed Aubrey looking at her and cast a small, comforting smile towards her. She half smiled and turned back to the stairwell.

"Janice is someone at the door?" he called, with his scruffy voice.

"Yes, Aubrey is home now. She came for her things!" She said loudly so he would hear. "You did come for your things, right?" she asked Aubrey quietly. Aubrey nodded and glanced back over to Jesse who was standing there quietly.

"Aubrey?" he called.

Aubrey whipped her head around and faced her father who was now standing in front of her. "Hi dad." She managed to get out.

"How was your trip with Chloe?" he asked, glancing towards Jesse.

"It was, um, fun. We had a good time." She lied.

"Good. Good." He muttered, his full attention now on Jesse.

Jesse tried not to squirm under the intense stare down he was getting. He couldn't hold out. He dropped his gaze to the floor and then to Aubrey before making eye contact with her father again.

"Uh, dad, I ran into my friend Jesse on the trip and he offered to help me with my things since he was headed back to Barden." She affirmed.

Jesse extended his hand towards Mr. Posen. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Posen." He said nicely, yet firmly.

He stared at Jesse's hand for a few seconds before shaking it. He turned around and muttered something under his breath.

Aubrey looked up at Jesse who looked pretty intimidated. "Sorry." She mouthed.

"Will you be staying the night?" her mother asked sweetly.

"Um, I don't think so. We should probably get back as soon as possible. Chloe and I have to hand out flyers for the Bella's."

"Are you still doing that petty singing thing, Aubrey? You need to focus on your studies." Her father said sternly. "I'm not paying for you to waste your time at college. You're there to learn, not to sing."

"You aren't paying for anything excepting rooming, remember? Scholarship." She muttered.

Her father grumbled and walked back up stairs.

"Go easy on him, bree. I know he's never been the easiest person to get along with. He just cares about you. And he wants what is best for you!" her mother pleaded.

Aubrey rolled her eyes slightly and gave her mother a small hug. "I'm going to get my things now." She said softly. She walked upstairs with Jesse following behind her.

When they got to her room, Aubrey closed the door and slid down to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Aubrey, look at me." Jesse said gently, sitting down in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm such a failure in his eyes. I just want to make him happy and do what I love." She whimpered, burying her head into Jesse's chest.

Jesse wrapped his arms around her and rubbed small circles on her back, "You aren't a failure in his eyes. You're just taking a different path than he wanted you to take. It's going to take time for him to understand that." He comforted. "Now come on. We don't want you all puffy-eyed." He teased, standing up and helping her up.

Aubrey wiped her tears away with the hem of her t-shirt and began pulling out boxes that she never unpacked. Jesse picked them up and carried them down to his car as Aubrey began shoving clothes into her bags. She was going through her drawers and dumping everything in. She even went to her closet and pulled a few more dresses out than last year. "Just to be safe." She thought.

Jesse walked back in to get more boxes. He saw Aubrey scanning her wall of awards. "So this is who you are…It's very pink. And competitive looking."

Aubrey sighed and turned around. "Second was never good enough." She told him. "It always had to be first. Like my father always says, second is the first loser." She mumbled, turning back to packing clothes.

"I bet you were a little genius as a child." He teased.

"Something like that." She said with a small laugh.

"Well you seem to have won every award possible." He said, taking notice of all the different award titles. "But you're missing one."

"I am?" she asked curiously.

"Mhmm! Best girlfriend award." He told her. Jesse wrapped his arms around Aubrey's waist and kissed the side of her head.

Aubrey relaxed at the feeling of Jesse's arms around her. She looked up at him and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Jesse."

"I love you too, Aubrey." He whispered, followed by a soft, gentle kiss pressed on her lips. Aubrey smiled for a minute before coming to reality. She undid herself from his grasp.

"We can't, Jess. Not here. Not with my father here."

Jesse's face dropped a little when she said this, but quickly got back to work. He picked up another box and opened her door. Aubrey's father walked right in front of him, down the stairs. He held his breath, hoping he didn't hear them. He didn't want to face that or put Aubrey through it.

Jesse ran back into Aubrey's room when done. "You might want to speed things up a little bit." He pressed.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but I think your father overheard us. He was right outside your door when I opened it."

"Awesome. Fantastic. Could this day get any better?"

"Easy, Aubrey. We don't know what he heard. He could have heard nothing." He tried.

"Or he could have heard it all!" she whined. "Look. I love you Jesse. I really, really love you! You know that! I just…I can't tell my father that I have a boyfriend yet. He already thinks so little of me." She added with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Jesse ran over and wrapped her in a big hug. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and gently lifted up her chin. He tucked a strand of hair that had fallen down, behind her ear. "It's okay. We can go as soon as you're ready." He assured her.

Aubrey nodded and turned to throw one last pile of clothes into a box. She helped Jesse carry them to his car and put them in the back seat.

Aubrey kissed Jesse's cheek before walking back inside. Aubrey dropped her head as she heard loud voices coming from the kitchen.

"YEAH, WELL SHE'S NOT TEN ANYMORE, ROBERT. STOP TREATING HER LIKE SHE IS. MAYBE SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU, THEN." Her mother yelled.

"WELL WHEN SHE'S 26 AND KNOCKED UP AND HE'S NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, DON'T COME CRYING TO ME." He yelled back.

Tears welled up in Aubrey's eyes as she grabbed Jesse's hand and ran upstairs. Her trip was cut short when Jesse didn't budge. He let go of her hand and headed towards the yelling.

"Jesse, don't!" Aubrey cried.

Jesse walked into the kitchen and faced Aubrey's parents. Aubrey stood back behind the doorway.

"With all due respect, sir, I love your daughter. I love her so much, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Yes, we're young, but we are in love. She completes me. You have an amazingly talented daughter, and honestly, it baffles me that you can't see what she has to offer to the world. And truth be told, we haven't slept together yet. As far as I know, we are both virgins."

"You have no"

"I'm not finished. Aubrey completes me. She's my best friend. I would never hurt her, physically or emotionally. I can't imagine not having her to talk to each day and go get ice cream or watch movies or have real study sessions with. And she's a phenomenal singer. It's what she loves to do. I'm shocked that you can't see how much she enjoys it. She gets this little sparkle in her eyes when she's performing. She doesn't have that with anything else she does. You of all people should have known that since you raised her. You put so much stress on her that she periodically cries and vomits, and I'm the one that dries her tears and holds her hair back. And if you're really that pissed about us being together, you should blame yourself. You telling her how much of a disappointment she was to you is what brought us together. I love your daughter with my whole heart, and she loves me just as much. She just doesn't want to disappoint you."

"Jess" Aubrey said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Aubrey. I couldn't listen to him say that. I'm sorry." He said as he turned to face her.

Aubrey nodded and remained hidden, afraid of how her father would react.

Her father was stunned. No one ever stood up to him. No one in their right mind would ever talk to him like that. He wasn't sure how to react.

Aubrey appeared from her hiding spot during the prolonged silence. Her father looked up at her with a confused look on his face. "I don't support this, but I give up on telling you what to do." He said sternly.

"I'll take it." Aubrey muttered.

"Have a good year, Aubrey. Don't let your grades slip, or we will have a problem." He told her. "And if I hear one word of you hurting her, I will end you." He said solidly, looking at Jesse.

Jesse swallowed hard and nodded as he watched him shuffle back upstairs. Aubrey let out a huge breath and hugged Jesse. Jesse wrapped his arms around her, unsure of what just happened. Aubrey ran over and gave her mom a hug. She had tears in her eyes. "I'll miss you, Aubrey Rose. Please call every now and then."

"I will mom. I will. I love you." Aubrey said as tears welled up.

Aubrey pulled apart and walked back over to Jesse.

"You ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be." She said half-heartedly.

They walked outside, but before getting in the car, Jesse pulled Aubrey over by her hand. He picked her up and spun her around in circles as she squealed. "Senior year!" he said excitedly! He pressed his lips against Aubrey's before setting her back down. "I love you so much, Aubrey Rose Posen."

"I love you Jesse Dean Swanson." She said before pressing her lips against his. "I don't want this to ever end." She admitted.

"It won't Aubrey. It won't ever end."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: yay updates! I was home sick today so I decided to update since I'm busy all the time.**

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

_A few weeks later_

"I think we've got them, Chloe." Aubrey sighed with relief. She piled the stack of papers up and set them aside.

"I have a good feeling about this year, bree. It's our last year. We can do this!" Chloe squealed.

"Whaddup flatbutt?" Amy called from across the quad, followed by Stacie, Beca, and Lily.

Chloe's eyes lit up when she saw her tiny girlfriend walking towards her.

"You got those new Bellas yet?" Fat Amy asked.

"We think so." Aubrey told her, handing her the few pages of the people she and Chloe liked.

"Oh yeah, I liked her!" Stacie said, pointing to the girl on top. "She's hot!"

Aubrey shot Stacie a look.

"What? I think a lot of people are hot! No biggy!" Stacie defended.

"Good choices, skinnies." Fat Amy told them, handing the papers back to Aubrey.

"You guys ready to set up for tonight?" Aubrey asked them.

"You bet!" Stacie cried.

The six girls walked into the Bellas' rehearsal space to prepare for initiation night. They set up the candles and picked out some music to play as they brought the girls in.

"Okay girls! Let's go get ready. Be back here with your target at 8:00 sharp. Got it?" Aubrey stated.

"Sir, yes sir!" Fat Amy blared, winning a glare from Aubrey.

Chloe and Aubrey walked back to their dorm to get ready for the late evening.

* * *

"This sucks." Aubrey muttered as she got her clothes together.

"It's not terrible, bree. We had to deal with it 1st and 2nd year. We got lucky last year!" Chloe explained.

"You could have asked for one with a private bathroom this year though! We're seniors! We have top priority!" Aubrey whined.

"I could have, but then I wouldn't get to go to my girlfriends dorm and steal her shower."

"Well, one of these days, I'm going to laugh when she's not there and you have to use the communal showers."

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Aubrey. "You're just mad because I get to use Beca's! You won't man up and use Jesse's! You little chicken." She teased.

"'Hey Jesse! I'm just going to use your shower real quick and then leave. Thanks!' I can see it now, Chlo."

"Boyfriend's private shower or community shower where people can walk in on you like I did to Beca. Hmmm. It shouldn't be that difficult, Aubrey."

"Most people aren't as outgoing as you, Chloe." Aubrey said, walking out of their dorm with her clothes and shower things in her hand.

As she was walking down the hall, her eyes fell on a familiar face she has grown to love. His eyes met hers and he ran to her.

"Aubrey!" he exclaimed, wrapping Aubrey in a tight hug.

She stood on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his lips. "Hi Jesse." She smiled.

"Ready for tonight?" he asked her with a kind look in his eyes.

"I'm working on that." She said, holding up the things in her hands.

"Oh. Gotcha."

"Yeah, I figured I should look decent for initiation night and scare these newbies." She teased.

"Good luck!" he told her. "Um, Aubrey? You do know I have a shower in my room that you can use instead of these, right?"

"I know, Jesse. I just didn't want to push it. Chloe has already given me grief about it since she uses Beca's."

"Hey, it's okay. It's just an option. If you want to use the community showers, all power to you." He teased.

"You make it sound awful, Jesse." She whined.

"I'm just saying. If you wanted a private bathroom, you could always use mine. I mean it's not like you didn't shower in my bathroom this summer." He teased, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"That is true." She gave in.

Jesse smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked to his dorm.

"I still don't get how you ended up without a roommate!" Aubrey exclaimed as they walked in.

"Me neither. But hey! It's quiet!" he told her.

Jesse went and laid in bed as Aubrey went to the bathroom to take a shower.

She came out in her clothes and her towel wrapped around her head. She crawled into bed next to Jesse and wrapped her arms around him.

"So…are you going to make them say that oath tonight?" Jesse asked jokingly.

"Hell yeah, I am! Now that it's nothing, I want to see the looks on their faces."

"Wow. Aubrey Posen has a dark side, ladies and gentlemen." He said to no one.

Aubrey smirked and kissed his cheek.

"I should probably go. I don't want the newbies to see us before tonight." She said, standing up and gathering her clothes.

Jesse gave her a pouty face that she knew she couldn't refuse. She walked over and kissed him gently. "I love you Jesse. Even when you torture me."

"I love you too, Aubrey. Even when you leave me alone."

"Goodbye, Jesse." She said, walking out of his dorm.

* * *

"Alright, let's get her." Chloe said with a devious smile.

Aubrey laughed as they grabbed the sack and headed out.

"Target acquired." Chloe said quietly.

"You're having too much fun Chloe." Aubrey told her.

The two girls crept out behind the freshman when she wasn't looking. Chloe put the sack over her head and Aubrey tied her hands together.

"If this is some stupid senior prank, please stop! I didn't do anything!" she cried.

The girls suppressed their laughs as they led the girl to the rehearsal hall. They met the other Bellas there and lined up the four new girls.

"Our soprano: Bryanna. Our mezzos: Kaylie and Madison. Our alto: Alex." Aubrey said as Chloe unmasked the girls.

"We shall begin by drinking the blood of the sisters that came before you." Aubrey began.

Beca snickered at the girls expressions as Aubrey handed them the gauntlet. Kaylie looked like she was about to barf.

"Don't worry. It's Boone's Farm." Chloe told her, shooting Beca a wink.

The girls each took a sip of the drink and Aubrey handed the glass to Fat Amy to finish it off.

"Ahh yeah." She said as she took a gulp.

"Now if you'll place your scarves in your right hand." Chloe started.

"I, sing your name." Aubrey began

They girls repeated her and sang their name. To the Bellas' surprise, they were on the same pitch.

"Promise to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a Bella woman."

"Promise to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a Bella woman." The girls echoed.

"And I solemnly promise to never have sexual relations with a Treblemaker or may my vocal chords be ripped out by wolves."

The girls were wide-eyed as the repeated the last line after Aubrey. The rest of the Bellas erupted into laughter at the sound of them, causing the new Bellas to look confused as well as frightened. Aubrey shot the vets a few glances telling them to shut up. She wanted to see how long it would take them.

"You are all Bellas now." Aubrey told them.

* * *

"Okay, girls, welcome to Aca-initiation night. Have fun." She told them as the group dispersed. Aubrey, Chloe and Beca walked over to get a drink.

"So how long do you give them?" Beca asked, looking at the girls who were huddled together.

"I don't know. Once they see Aubrey, here, all over her Treble, they'll figure it out." Chloe teased, causing Aubrey to blush.

"Speak of the devil." Beca muttered, nodding her head towards Jesse who was walking towards the girls.

"Hello ladies." He said, sounding like he had already started to have fun.

"Hi, Jesse. She's all yours tonight." Chloe said, walking off hand in hand with Beca.

Jesse wrapped his arms around Aubrey's waist. "You look beautiful, Aub." He told her, kissing her forehead.

"Hm. And how many drinks have you had yet?" she asked.

"One."

"Okay, Jess." She said sweetly. She stood on the balls of her feet and kissed him. She could taste the beer on his lips as he returned the kiss.

"Come on. Let's dance." Jesse said, and on cue, a new song started playing.

Jesse pulled Aubrey into the crowd as everyone started to dance.

After a little while of dancing, Jesse pulled Aubrey over and walked up the stairs until there weren't as many people around. They walked over and sat down on that row. They kicked their feet up on the row in front of them.

"I love you Jesse." Aubrey said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too, Aubrey." He replied, wrapping his arm around her tightly.

Aubrey grabbed his other hand and intertwined their fingers. She held it up and looked at their hands pressed together.

"A perfect fit." Jesse told her, kissing the top of her head.

Aubrey smiled and looked up at Jesse. She placed a soft kiss on his lips and rested her head on his shoulder again.

"Um, Aubrey. I think you have four stalkers." Jesse muttered, looking at the four girls who were staring at the couple with their mouths open wide.

Aubrey laughed as she saw the girls. She untangled herself from Jesse and stood up. Jesse followed and she held his hand in hers as they made their way over to the freshmen.

"I thought you said" Bryanna started.

"Yeah, yeah. No sexual relations with a Treblemaker. Blah blah blah. We just like to scare you guys. That's all. I could care less who you date as long as it doesn't affect your ability to sing and dance." Aubrey told them.

Jesse wrapped his arms around Aubrey from behind and kissed her temple. Aubrey's heart fluttered as he did this, causing her to blush. "Just don't hurt my guys too bad, okay?"

"Got it." Kaylie mumbled.

Aubrey and Jesse walked away from the girls who were still whispering about what happened.

"You ready to call it a night?" Aubrey asked.

"Is my princess tired?" he teased.

"You bet your ass I am."

"Hop on." Jesse told her.

Aubrey jumped on his back and wrapped her arms and legs around him. He started walking to the dorm hall.

"Would you like to stay over tonight? The first sleepover of the school year on the day you say we're off limits sort of thing?" he teased.

"Oh shut it, Swanson, before I change my mind." Aubrey told him.

Jesse opened the door and set Aubrey down on his bed. He went to his drawers and got out some pants and a hoodie for her to change into.

Aubrey went back into the bathroom and put the clothes on. When she got out, Jesse was already lying in bed. The tv was turned on to the menu for the movie.

"Burlesque. You surprise me, Jess." Aubrey teased as she crawled in bed next to Jesse.

"I try to." He said, giving her a small kiss.

Aubrey scrunched up her nose. "Your breath smells like beer."

"Well I would assume that's because I had beer like twenty minutes ago."

"I did too, but my breath doesn't smell like beer."

"Did you brush your teeth?" Jesse asked, looking at Aubrey with a knowing expression. She nodded her head. "Would you like me to brush my teeth?" he asked her sarcastically. She nodded her head again. "You are something else, Aubrey Rose Posen."

"But you love me, and if you want to kiss me again tonight, you should probably go brush your teeth."

"I do love you." He said. Jesse snuck a quick peck to her cheek before getting up to go brush his teeth.

"Jesse!" Aubrey whined.

"You love me too, bree!" he called from inside the bathroom.

Three minutes later, Jesse came back out and crawled back into bed. He pressed play on the remote and then looked over at Aubrey. He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. "Better?" he asked.

"Much better." She smiled.

Aubrey curled up next to Jesse as they watched the movie. His arm was around her little body and his fingers were running up and down the length of her arm that was showing since she pushed the sleeves up. He leaned over and kissed her temple. He saw her eyes fluttering to stay open. "Goodnight Aubrey."

"Goodnight. I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I have nothing to say. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Oh well. Please leave reviews so I know what you guys' thoughts are! I hope you're enjoying it! Okay I'm done.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: **

"Girls, I need you to focus!" Aubrey yelled over the music that was playing. "It's down, step, small kick, circle, pause, hit. Got it?"

The Bellas moaned as Aubrey barked orders. They were trying to get this choreography down before Regionals, and it just wasn't working out like they planned. Beca had done an amazing job with the mix, but they couldn't just stand on stage and sing.

"I swear, if we don't win because of this damn choreography" Aubrey started.

"Okay! Five minute water break, girls!" Chloe called, earning a glare from Aubrey. She walked over to her already stressed, best friend. "Aubrey, relax. It's going to be fine. We almost have it! Don't worry. We've got kick-ass songs and some strong choreography. They won't know what hit them. You just need to relax a little."

"Chloe, I can't relax. Regionals are next week and we still don't have the choreography down. It was you who convinced me to do this new style and now look at us. I let Beca make the mix, but now we can't dance to it. We can't fail again, Chloe! We can't!" Aubrey snapped.

Chloe rubbed her best friend's knee. "It's going to be okay, bree. I promise." She said, Chloe got up and walked over to Beca who was getting water.

"Hey, everything okay with her?" she asked.

"No. She's stressing over the choreography, and I think she has some big test of something coming up, so that's not helping." Chloe said quietly.

"She needs a distraction. But nothing too distracting, of course. Just something to clear her mind for a bit, you know!" Beca told her.

"I like where you are going with this, Mitchell."

"I'll text him, Chlo." Beca said, pulling out her phone to shoot Jesse a text.

* * *

B: _hey nerd, come rescue us from your girlfriend. She's getting stressed out. We're on lock down._

J: _go easy on her, okay! She's got a lot going on right now. I'll be there in a few._

* * *

A few minutes later, the side door opened to the rehearsal space.

"We've got Treble!" Fat Amy called when she saw Jesse sneaking in.

Aubrey spun around and faced her boyfriend like she was about to chew off his head.

"Hey, Aub. Are you almost finished here? I was hoping"

"No, Jesse. We have work to do." She spat, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips tight. Her face dropped when she realized how she had just sounded. "I'm sorry, Jess. We're really busy right now." She said softer.

Jesse grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side. "Look Aubrey. I know you're stressed. I get that. You can't take it out on them. You just need to relax a little bit." He said kindly, wrapping her in his arms.

Aubrey couldn't take it anymore. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she broke down in sobs. Jesse held her tighter and nodded towards Chloe who told the Bellas that practice was over.

"Shh. Aubrey it's okay. Don't worry. You're going to be amazing."

"I'm such a horrible person. The girls hate me. All I ever do is yell at them. I just want to gain back my dignity. I need that trophy." She said in between sobs. "We aren't ready and I don't want to waste my time, and I have a test coming up that I haven't studied for and that's not like me at all! Jesse I just can't handle this by myself."

"Aubrey, you don't have to. You have me, and you have Chloe and Beca. Those girls love you, and you know that. You just need a distraction for a little bit." Jesse kissed the top of her head gently. "I have an idea."

"What?" Aubrey mumbled into his shirt.

"You'll see." He told her as he wiped her tears away. "Just come with me."

Jesse wrapped his hand and hers and walked towards the dorm hall. Aubrey sniffled the way there, but she had finally stopped when they got to his dorm.

"Wait out here." He told her as he slipped into his dorm.

"Wait, Jesse what?" she begged.

The door opened slightly and he stuck his head out. "I love you, Aubrey." he told her, followed by a kiss.

Aubrey stuck her bottom lip out and sat down on the floor by his door.

A little while later, the door swung open. Aubrey stood up and looked at Jesse questionably. He had the hugest grin on his face.

"What is going on, Jess?"

He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers in hers as he pushed back the door.

Aubrey giggled as she took in the sight in front of her. There were blankets and pillows on the floor and a comforter draped over between the beds and nightstands. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "You-are-the-best-boyfriend-ever." She said between kisses.

"I try." He smirked. Jesse flipped the light switch so it was dark except for a lamp that was on. "Our fort is waiting." He said, gesturing to their makeshift fort.

Aubrey crawled in, followed by Jesse. They propped pillows up against the nightstand and leaned against it. Jesse pulled out his laptop from under one of the blankets. "And now for our distraction."

"No popcorn?" Aubrey asked jokingly since popcorn and movies had become a common thing for the two of them.

"Oh shit. I knew something was off." He said, scrambling out of the blankets. "Having a microwave this year, makes this so much easier." He said as he put the package in the microwave.

"So what are we watching?" Aubrey asked.

"You'll see."

Aubrey moaned since she hated surprises.

When the popcorn was done, Jesse crawled back into the fort and handed Aubrey the bag. He opened his computer and logged back in.

"Aw that's cute!" Aubrey cooed as a picture of his family came up.

"Wait a second." He told her.

Aubrey watched the screen and smiled as it changed pictures to one of her and him. They had taken it over summer after they watched a movie one night.

Jesse kissed the side of her head and pulled up the movie he had picked out.

"You are such a little kid, I swear." Aubrey teased.

"Oh come on! You love it! You can't pass up Tangled. And you really don't have a choice now." He smirked.

Aubrey scooted closer to Jesse, and he propped the laptop on their legs. Aubrey placed the popcorn in her lap as the movie started. He was right. She couldn't pass up Tangled. Aubrey started singing along, quietly at first but slowly getting louder. Jesse laughed at her as she sang, but she threw popcorn at him.

"If you don't want to hear me sing along, don't choose a singing movie."

"I could listen to you sing all day." He said kindly.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Swanson."

"Oh really?" he asked, placing a kiss on her lips.

"Okay, maybe a little." She smiled.

"Shh. I see the light is about to start."

"You are seriously a kid." She teased, but willingly started to sing.

_All those days watching from the windows_

_All those years outside looking in_

_All that time never even knowing_

_Just how blind I've been_

_Now I'm here blinking in the starlight_

_Now I'm here suddenly I see_

_Standing here it's all so clear_

_I'm where I'm meant to be_

Aubrey curled up next to Jesse and wrapped her arm around his stomach. He slipped his arm around her waist and listened to her voice fill the room.

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the fog has lifted_

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the sky is new_

_And it's warm and real and bright_

_And the world has somehow shifted_

_All at once everything looks different_

_Now that I see you_

Jesse kissed the side of her head as she sang. He smiled at her and quickly jumped in to start singing.

_All those days chasing down a daydream_

_All those years living in a blur_

_All that time never truly seeing_

_Things, the way they were_

_Now she's here shining in the starlight_

_Now she's here suddenly I know_

_If she's here it's crystal clear_

_I'm where I'm meant to go_

Jesse squeezed Aubrey tight as their voices mixed together, sending chills up her spine. She loved every second of it.

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the fog has lifted_

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the sky is new_

_And it's warm and real and bright_

_And the world has somehow shifted_

_All at once everything is different_

_Now that I see you_

_Now that I see you_

* * *

Aubrey rested her head on Jesse's shoulder as they continued the movie. He rubbed her back softly as the movie slowly came to an end. Her breathing was getting longer and heavier each time.

"Come on. You need to sleep." Jesse coaxed, trying to get her to go to bed. "Aubrey, you're exhausted!"

"No. I don't want to leave." She mumbled groggily.

"Will you at least get in bed?"

"I want this to last, Jesse." She said quietly.

"Alright. You are my princess after all."

A smile appeared on Aubrey's face as he said this. "I love you Jesse."

"I love you more."

"I love you most." She whispered in his ear.

"Look at us, making Tangled references." He teased as he laid down and propped a pillow under his head. Aubrey curled up next to him and laid her head on his chest. She draped her arm over his stomach, and his arm found its natural position around her waist area. He closed his eyes and listened as Aubrey's breathing became more long and drawn out. He gently kissed the top of her head before going to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n: you guys are hilarious. You might hate me. You might not. We will see how the cookie crumbles.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Aubrey groaned as the sunlight seeped through the window into her dorm. She reluctantly got up and started functioning for the day.

"I thought you were a morning person, bree." Chloe stated.

"I am. I was just exhausted. Regionals killed me. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited we made it through to semi-finals, but I just need a weekend to sleep."

"Fair enough." She chirped.

"You and Beca doing something tonight? I didn't forget, you know."

"She said she had something planned, but she's not cluing me in." Chloe pouted.

"I'm sure it will be aca-awesome!" Aubrey assured.

"I think it will be."

* * *

Aubrey decided to lie back down in bed and read instead of doing anything today. She pulled out a book and picked up where she left off. Her eyes fluttered across the pages as she, once again, became attached to the characters only to have her heart ripped out of her chest. She reread the last sentence as tears fluttered onto the crisp page clutched by her fingers. She closed the book and set it on the nightstand. "I really need to not get attached." She mumbled to herself.

A few seconds later, Chloe came fumbling in. She rushed around and got ready for her plans with Beca. "Have you even moved, Bree?" she asked.

"Not really. I got caught up in this book." She muttered.

"Your boyfriend is worried. I told him you just needed a day to catch up on sleep." Chloe said with a hint of worry.

"Oh man. Jesse." Aubrey deadpanned. She reached for her phone to call him, but there was a knock on the door. Aubrey got up and opened, not even caring about her appearance at the moment. Her eyes brightened as Jesse stood in the doorway looking at her. "I was just about to call you! I'm sorry. I haven't done anything today. I was reading and lost track of time." She mumbled.

"It's okay! Aub, don't worry. As long as you're okay!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" she assured him with a small peck on the cheek.

"Okay, bree. How does this look?" Chloe asked cheerfully as she appeared from their dorm in her blue dress.

"Chloe, you look beautiful. As always." Aubrey cooed at her best friend.

"Thanks, love! I'll see you tomorrow!" she said, placing a small peck on her best friends cheek.

"Have fun! Be careful!" Aubrey called down the hall.

"So, what are you doing for the night?" Jesse asked.

"I haven't gotten that far, yet. I was thinking cuddle with my boyfriend?"

"Oh, I see!" he smirked.

Aubrey stood on her toes and placed a kiss on his lips. "Come on." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the dorm.

"What time is it?" she asked, sitting back on her bed and making room for Jesse.

"Around 6 I think. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. Would you like to order pizza?" she asked. Jesse nodded his head. "Do you want to pick out a movie?" she asked with a small laugh. She knew he wanted to anyways.

"I thought you'd never ask." He teased. He kissed Aubrey's cheek as he got up and picked out a movie. Aubrey pulled her phone out and ordered a pizza.

When it was here, Jesse went out and got the pizza and paid the delivery guy. He had insisted on it.

"One hot pizza!" he called as he walked back into Aubrey's dorm.

"Yay!" she squealed. "What are we watching?"

"Pretty in Pink." He told her with a wink.

"Have I told you that I love you?" she asked playfully.

"You have, but it wouldn't hurt to hear it again!" he teased.

"Well, I love you." Aubrey said, pressing a light kiss on Jesse's lips.

"I love you too." He told her.

Aubrey curled up next to Jesse and set the pizza box on their laps as they watched the movie. Jesse had his arm around her small body. She loved being close to him. It made her feel safe. She snuggled closer and put her feet in between his. She kissed his jawline as he turned his attention from the movie to her.

"You're missing the ending." He told her.

"Sorry." She giggled and continued watching the movie.

When it was over, Jesse got up and put in The Breakfast Club.

"Taking a trip down memory lane, are we?"

"Of course!" Jesse smirked. He started the movie and walked back towards Aubrey.

She sat up and looked at him with her smile. "Good." She told him.

Jesse leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You missed." Aubrey said quietly.

"I what?"

"You missed!" Aubrey perked. She tilted her head up and pressed her lips against Jesse's. When she broke the kiss, she looked up at Jesse and smiled. She had a small glint in her eyes that isn't usually there. Jesse saw and smiled slightly.

Jesse's hands found her waist as he crashed his lips against hers. He sat down next to her on the bed and continued to kiss her. His hand moved slightly, and he felt her warm skin as her loose tank top moved slightly. Shivers ran down Aubrey's spine as she felt his hand on her skin. It was a different feeling from what she was used to.

Aubrey broke for air but had a small smile on her face as she looked at Jesse. Jesse raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. Aubrey nodded, understanding what he meant. A smile erupted onto his face as he kissed her forehead.

Aubrey wrapped her legs around Jesse's waist and pressed her lips into his once more. His hands went back to her wait but this time, under her tank top. Aubrey tugged at the hem of his tshirt before he pulls it over his head. Aubrey kissed his jawline before making her way to his mouth.

Jesse's hands held her waist. He grabbed the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head, leaving Aubrey in her sports bra and sweatpants. He kissed the nape of her neck as he pulled her closer. His hands were now on her hips as she pressed her hands against his bare chest. "Are you sure?" he whispered into her ear.

"I'm sure." She whispered.

Jesse picked her up and laid her on the bed. He leaned down and kissed her hard. His hands were on either side of her head. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her fingernails into his back, leaving small, crescent indentations on his back.

As he started to make small kisses along her stomach, Aubrey heard a familiar voice outside the door.

"What the hell?" she blurted.

"What?" Jesse's head popped up, giving Aubrey a strange look.

"Chloe's back." She said quickly.

Jesse rolled over and grabbed his tshirt. Aubrey was getting her tank top from the floor when the door swung open.

"I screwed up, Bree." Chloe whined with tears in her eyes. She didn't even glance at Aubrey who was trying to put her shirt back on, earning a chuckle from Jesse.

"What are you talking about?" Aubrey asked. She shot Jesse a look saying "this might be a while." His face straightened before he mouthed "I can't leave." And grabbed one of her pillows and covered his lap. Aubrey almost burst into laughter but turned and faced Chloe, who was curled up in her bed with her head in her hands.

"Things were going well and we were laughing and having a really good time and then I asked her something. I told her I didn't need an answer anytime soon, but she panicked, and I don't know what to do, Aubrey!"

"What did you ask her, Chlo?" Aubrey asked, sitting down next to her best friend and wrapping her arms around her.

"I asked her if she wanted to move in together after we graduated. Things were going so well and I thought it would be a good idea!" she sobbed.

"I don't know Beca like you do, but I do know that she loves you a lot. She's probably just nervous and you just threw it on her. She'll come around!" Aubrey tried.

"But I told her she had a lot of time!" she cried.

"I know. I know." Aubrey comforted. "She just needs a little time to think about it. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Aubrey looked over at Jesse who was sitting there awkwardly on Aubrey's bed. "Help" she mouthed.

"She's right Chloe. Beca just doesn't want to get into a situation where she feels like she would be abandoned." Jesse jumped in.

"But I would never leave her!"

"I know. She knows that, but she's had people walk out on her so many times that it's hard for her to jump into anything serious. You just have to give her time and space. She'll come back to you." He added.

Aubrey held her best friend in her arms until there was a knock on the door. She got up and opened it and met Beca's eyes.

"Is she okay?" she pipe up.

Aubrey nodded before letting her in to see Chloe.

"Can we talk, Chlo?" she asked.

Chloe nodded her head and wiped away her tears.

Aubrey walked over to Jesse and kissed his cheek. "We should leave them alone." She whispered. "Are you good now?" she asked teasingly. Jesse nodded his head and got off of her bed. He held her hand as they walked towards his dorm.

When they were in his dorm, they crawled into bed. "Maybe another night." He told her softly. "Aubrey?"

"yeah?" she asked quietly.

"You won't freak out on me, will you? Like when graduation nears?" he asked.

"I hope not, Jesse. I really hope not."

"I don't know what I would do without you."

"Me either. We need to promise to make things work. Deal?"

"Deal."

"I love you Jesse."

"And I love you Aubrey." He told her.

Jesse kissed her forehead softly and wrapped his arm around her.

Aubrey cuddled close to Jesse, where she belonged. Where she knew she would always belong.

* * *

**Okay I'm not really good at writing things like that so cut me some slack. I love you guys**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: You guys are absolutely hilarious! All of you want them to have sex. I understand. In due time, guys. No worries. But yeah I just thought of this chapter like an hour ago! Read and review guys!**

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

*_Jesse's Birthday*_

Jesse opened his eyes and saw the pink post-it note plastered on his forehead. He peeled it off and blinked a few times to wake his eyes up before reading it.

_Happy birthday, Jesse. I love you so much. I will be busy today, but I will meet you at your dorm at 7pm. Don't be late! Have an aca-awesome day!_

_Love, Aubrey._

Jesse scowled at the note a little bit. It wasn't like Aubrey to be so vague. It bothered him, a lot. He tore out of bed and threw on some shorts and a tshirt. He ran down the hall and knocked on her door. Chloe opened the door, clearly just waking up.

"Where's Aubrey?" he asked her.

"I don't know. She was gone before I woke up." She mumbled. Chloe rubbed her eyes and looked up at Jesse who looked hurt. "Is everything okay?"

Jesse handed Chloe the note and waited as she read it. A smile appeared on her face as she handed him the post-it back.

"Aww! She's doing it!" she squealed quietly.

"What? What's going on Chloe?" he asked with a little more panic.

"Relax Swanson. I'm not allowed to tell you, but it's going to be alright." She said calmly. "Happy Birthday, by the way." She added.

"Thanks." He mumbled under his breath before going back to his dorm.

Jesse laid back in bed and grabbed his phone off of the night stand. He had a new text from Aubrey.

A: _Happy birthday weirdo. I love you. Don't worry too much okay? I have a busy day._

Jesse sighed and put his phone back. He didn't want to disturb her by calling and figuring out what was wrong. He rolled over and tried to fall back asleep, but after thirty minutes of that, he decided to watch a movie.

Jesse didn't really pay any attention to the movie. He kept checking his phone to see if Aubrey had called him. She hadn't.

Jesse closed his laptop and got up to go get lunch. He walked through the quad towards the small café he and Aubrey always went to. As he walked in, a familiar set of blonde curls rushed past him holding a bagel and a water bottle.

"Aubrey?!"

She spun around on her heels and faced Jesse.

"What is going on?"

"I'm really busy Jess. I love you though. Happy birthday sweetie." She said softly.

"Aubrey you didn't say you had things to do. Are you sure you're okay?" his voice softened.

"I'm sure. Don't worry."

"Positive?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.

"100%."

Jesse leaned down and kissed her forehead softly before letting her leave.

"I know this isn't how you planned you'd be spending today, but you have to trust me on this. Promise?"

"I promise, Aub."

"I really do have to go though, Jess. If you're bored, you can hang with Chloe and Beca."

"Wait!" he called, grabbing her hand before she was out of arms reach. "Can I at least get a kiss?"

Aubrey sighed and smiled. She leaned up and softly pressed her lips against his.

"I love you." He called as she walked away.

Jesse got his food and ate it slowly since he had nothing better to do. As he was walking back to his dorm, he came across Benji.

"Yo, hey dude! Happy Birthday!" he called.

"Thanks Benji! What are you up to?"

"I am on my way to a class, actually. I gotta run. Have a good birthday Jesse!"

Jesse shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back to the dorm hall. He stopped at Aubrey and Chloe's dorm. He paused and then knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Chloe called.

Jesse opened the door and met Chloe and Beca sitting on the floor.

"Oh hey Jesse! You getting lonely?" Chloe asked jokingly.

"It's like I don't know how to function without her, Chloe. It's weird."

"It's love, Jesse." She softened.

"What is she doing? I ran into her at the café and she was all sweaty and in what looked like gym clothes. She was in a rush to get somewhere but she doesn't have any classes today."

"I'm sorry Jess. I cannot tell you. I haven't even told Beca, here." She assured him.

Jesse groaned and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at his watch and groaned again. "6 more hours until I figure out what the hell is going on."

"Come on. We can watch movies." Chloe said cheerfully.

Jesse hesitated before accepting the invitation. It's not like he had anything better to do.

* * *

"Damnit!" Aubrey cried as she pieced the choreography together. She's been in there all day except for lunch when she ran into Jesse. She didn't want to be away from him, but this had to be perfect. She walked over to her phone and started the song over. She walked over back to her starting pose and unfolded the masterpiece she has been slaving over. "It's missing something." She thought. "but what?"

She ran back to her phone and unplugged it. She dialed Stacie's number knowing that she'd be able to help.

"Hey Stace! Do you think you could come to the rehearsal hall and help me with something?"

"Uh sure. I'll be there in a minute. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'll explain later. I just need your help."

Aubrey marked the choreography while she waited for Stacie to arrive. She made mental notes of little adjustments that could be made.

"Hey Aubrey! What's up?" Stacie called as she dropped her bag off by the piano.

"I need your help. I have this dance that I've been working on, and it's missing something. I just can't put my finger on it. It needs to be perfect, and I know you dance. I was hoping you would help me out." She explained.

"Of course! Let's see what you got!"

Aubrey hit play on her phone and began the routine. She slowly breathed in what she was doing as if she were performing it for its intended viewer.

As the song came to an end, Stacie just sort of stared at her.

"Everything okay?" Aubrey asked.

"Uh, um, yeah. I just didn't know you danced like that. I mean I knew you could dance but I wasn't expecting that. I thought this was for a Bellas dance."

"Oh, no. It's, um, it's actually for Jesse." She admitted.

"You were Trebleboned hard, Posen." Stacie smirked.

"Yeah, well, you can't help it sometimes." Aubrey shrugged. "but do you see what I mean when I say it's missing something?"

"I think I do. Run it again, and I'll stop you when I see it."

* * *

They ran the dance over and over again until they felt it was perfect.

"God, bree. This is perfect. He's going to love it." Stacie told her as they walked out of the building together.

"I hope so." She admitted.

* * *

"Okay Jesse. It's 6:30. You should probably go get ready for tonight." Chloe coaxed as she read the text from Aubrey saying she was finished.

"I guess you're right. It's been fun ladies." He said as he walked back to his dorm to get ready for tonight.

* * *

Aubrey ran into her dorm and started stripping off her clothes. "I spent too much time. I don't have time to shower, Chloe! I smell!" she whined.

"Relax Bree! We've got you covered!" She said, handing her a baby wipe. "Okay. What are you wearing again?"

"The red flow-y dress." Aubrey told her, pointing to the dress that was towards the front of her closet.

Aubrey slipped out of the remainder of her clothes and put the dress on.

"Wow Aubrey! You look gorgeous! He's going to die!" Chloe squealed.

"Thank you Chloe. It means a lot." Aubrey smiled.

She pulled half of her curls back so they were mostly out of her face. Chloe touched up her makeup lightly so she didn't look all sweaty and exhausted.

At 6:50, Aubrey looked herself over in the mirror. She felt bad for leaving Jesse alone all day, but she wanted to do this for him.

"You look perfect, bree." Chloe assured her. She placed a small kiss on Aubrey's cheek. "It'll be perfect."

"Thank you Chloe. I mean it." She said. Aubrey slipped on her shoes before going down to Jesse's dorm.

She knocked gently on his door and was soon greeted by his dorky smile.

"Wow. You look…wow!"

"You can close your mouth, you know."

"I'm sorry. I just…you look amazing Aubrey."

"Thank you. You are pretty dashing tonight as well. Are you ready?" she asked kindly.

"I've been waiting all day!"

"Sorry about that." She said quietly.

Aubrey fit her hand perfectly into his as she led the way.

"What are we doing here, Aub?" he asked as he looked at the Bellas' rehearsal building.

"You'll see." She told him. She opened the door and led him in there.

Aubrey led him to the piano bench that she had pulled out and told him to sit down. Aubrey walked over and plugged her phone into the stereo. She picked up the remote and walked back towards him. She draped her arms around his shoulders and planted a kiss on his lips. "Happy birthday." She said quietly before slipping her heels off.

She walked towards the center of the room and hit play on the remote. She set it on the piano and fell into her pose, her feet turned out, with pointed toes and elongated arms.

_Heart beats fast_

_Colors and promises_

_How to be brave?_

_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall_

_But watching you stand alone?_

_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

_One step closer._

Aubrey poured her emotion into this dance that she created. This dance she had created for Jesse. It showed her feelings, it showed her weak points, and it showed her vulnerability. She didn't care.

_Time stands still_

_Beauty in all she is_

_I will be brave_

_I will not let anything take away_

_What's standing in front of me_

_Every breath_

_Every hour has come to this_

This is it. This is what Aubrey and Stacie spent hours perfecting. Aubrey's heart and soul poured out as she fell into the arabesque as the music hit. She held it before she did her turns she grew up doing around her house.

_I have died every day waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_

_For a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_

_Time has brought your heart to me_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more._

Aubrey pulled herself together as she looked back at Jesse to make sure he was still there. He got up and ran towards her. He wrapped her in a bear hug and spun her around. Aubrey wrapped her legs around his waist and held onto him tightly.

"I wanted to do something special." She told him, giving him a small kiss.

"It was amazing Aubrey. It was the best thing I've ever seen or felt. How come you never said you danced?"

"I dunno. It just never came up, I guess."

"Well you are a beautiful dancer. Well you are just plain beautiful, period. So everything you do is automatically beautiful."

"Happy birthday Jess. I'm sorry I kept you on your toes all day."

"It was worth it. I love you Aubrey."

"I love you Jesse Dean Swanson." She pressed her lips against his and wrapped her arms over his shoulders. "oh. I got you something!" she said, planting her feet back on the ground.

"You didn't have to get me anything!"

"I'm pretty sure, as your girlfriend and all, I'm obligated to get you something. Especially if I keep stealing your current one!"

"Wait What?"

Aubrey pulled out a wrapped package from behind the piano and handed it to Jesse. She watched with a small smirk on her face as he unwrapped it and held up a new Treblemaker hoodie. Jesse smiled and shook his head at Aubrey. "I love it. Thank you." He said, wrapping her in his arms.

"There's more." She whispered in his ear. She grabbed his hand and led him back to his dorm.

"Should I be scared to open it?" he asked jokingly.

"Possibly…Probably…okay definitely." She whispered so they wouldn't hear.

Jesse opened the door to his dorm and was greeted by Chloe, Beca, Benji, Donald, and Stacie.

"Happy birthday!" they all yelled.

Aubrey squeezed his hand as they walked in to his dorm. Chloe brought out a small cake that had "Happy birthday weirdo" written on it.

Jesse blew out his candles as everyone finished singing happy birthday with their amazing harmonies.

"Thank you guys so much. I love you all." He told them.

They all sat and ate cake and joked around until everyone decided to head back to their own dorms.

Jesse looked over at Aubrey who was cleaning up the plates. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" he asked.

"Jesse, I still have to shower and I'd be out as soon as my head hit the pillow."

"I'm okay with that." He told her. "I had to survive all day without you and watch movies with Chloe and Beca who still hates movies."

"Okay fine. But I really do have to shower. I smell god awful."

"Go right ahead."

Aubrey threw the plates away and scurried into the bathroom. She slipped out of the dress and pulled her hair out before getting in the shower. She turned Pandora on for her phone and got in the shower. It felt nice to wash the sticky sweat away from her body. Aubrey hummed along as she showered but slowly started to sing as she recognized familiar tunes.

_Now, Muriel plays piano_

_Every Friday at the Hollywood_

_And they brought me down to see her_

_And they asked me if I would_

_Do a little number_

_And I sang with all my might_

_She said, "Tell me are you a Christian, child?"_

_And I said, "Ma'am, I am tonight!"_

_Walking in Memphis_

_I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale_

_Walking in Memphis_

_But do I really feel the way I feel?_

Aubrey got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She turned the music off and opened the door to Jesse's room. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with a huge smile on his face.

"What?" she squealed.

"You like to sing in the shower." He smirked.

"I do not!"

"You are such a liar Aubrey Rose Posen! I heard you belting out some Mark Cohn."

"I do not sing in the shower Jesse."

"Yes you do."

"Will you let me finish?"

Jesse laughed and nodded.

"I do not sing in the shower. I perform." Aubrey said with a straight face.

Jesse erupted into laughter and Aubrey quickly followed. She walked over to his dresser and pulled out _her _hoodie and a pair of shorts she kept there now. She walked back into the bathroom and came back out in them.

Aubrey crawled into bed next to Jesse who was ready for bed. He wrapped his arms around her so she was snuggled into his warm bare chest. Jesse kissed her forehead softly and tucked her damp hair behind her ear. "Thank you Aubrey." He told her.

"You're more than welcome, Jess." She mumbled. She was already half asleep. "I love you Jess"

"I love you Aubrey." He whispered quietly.

* * *

**A/N again: yay okay so I read a fanfic on tumblr by chaubreysnowcamp and Aubrey danced to A Thousand Years so that's why I chose that song and it fit well. I didn't use it the same way she did but just to let you guys know. Also I used Walking in Memphis by Mark Cohn. So yeah! Hope you liked it!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm sorry it took so long. The original plot for this chapter didn't look nice when I had written it all out. Round 2.**

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

_Valentine's Day_

Aubrey woke up and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hand. She slept in today for some reason, but she shortly remembered why. She could smell it in the air. Valentine's Day. She has always hated it so much, but this year is different. She had someone to share it with. Someone to spend the day being all cute and couple-y with and have an excuse. She drew the covers back from her legs and got out of bed. Chloe was still fast asleep in her bed. Aubrey was surprised she wasn't with Beca. When Aubrey got her balance, she noticed rose petals on the floor of her dorm. They were in a line leading to the door which had a letter with an A taped to it. Aubrey grabbed the letter and carefully read it.

_Dear Aubrey._

_You may think this is some heartfelt letter about how much I love you. It's not. Shower and get ready for the day. You're mine._

_Love, _

_Your prince._

_P.S. I do love you. A lot. Happy Valentine's Day, baby._

Aubrey giggled to herself as she read the letter. She wanted to know what Jesse had planned for the day. She ran around the door and got her clothes together, white jeans with a soft pink flow-y top and her silver Toms. She ran to the showers quickly so she could be with Jesse. Aubrey slipped on her clothes after she got out of the shower. She wrapped her hair up and ran back to her room. On her way back, she noticed the same roses leading down the hallway in the opposite direction. A smile erupted on to her face before running back into her dorm to finish getting ready. She put on a little makeup just to look nice and straightened her hair. Aubrey grabbed her phone and slipped it into her back pocket before picking up the gift she had hidden in her dorm.

Aubrey followed the rose petal trail down the hall and outside. She saw Jesse standing there, looking at the quad. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. "Happy Valentine's Day!" she whispered into his ear. Jesse turned around and wrapped Aubrey in a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart."

"I got something for you!" Aubrey giggled, handing Jesse the teddy bear. It had a hoodie on, the same color as theirs with a music note and everything.

"I love it, Aub." He told her, giving her a kiss. "You slept in today! I'm impressed!" he teased.

"I guess I was just really tired. I didn't keep you waiting did I?"

"Of course not! When I went to your dorm, you were out like a rock. I knew you wouldn't be up anytime soon."

"I loved the petals. You're such a sappy guy!"

"Oh but you love me!" he teased, wrapping her in a big hug and spinning her around.

"Put me down Jesse!" she squealed.

"Come on, let's go! You hungry?"

"Starved." Aubrey told him.

"Good." He said, opening the car door for Aubrey.

Jesse drove to a local restaurant called Cheddar's.

"They have the best chicken and waffles!" he said with his dorky grin.

"You are so strange."

"Oh come on! They're amazing! You have to try it!" he said with his best puppy dog face.

Aubrey couldn't hold out with that look. "Fine, I'll try your chicken and waffles."

"You'll love it!" he exclaimed.

* * *

"Okay, I admit. These are really good." Aubrey said enthusiastically as she took another bite.

"I told you, you would love it! Perfect combination!"

"You're right."

"I know." Jesse smirked.

"I love you, Jess."

"I love you more, Aubrey."

"I love you most."

Jesse paid for their meal and walked Aubrey back to his car. He ran around and opened the door for her.

"Always a gentleman." Aubrey teased. "That school for manners paid off." She added with a giggle.

Jesse shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

"May I ask where we are going now?"

"_We_ are going skating!"

Aubrey scrunched up her face a little. It's not that she hated skating, she was just terrible at it. Sort of like bowling.

"What? Everyone loves skating!" Jesse proclaimed.

"Yes! If they actually can skate!"

"Are you saying you can't skate, Aubrey Posen?"

Aubrey nodded her head slowly.

"Well, we are going to have to change that now aren't we?"

* * *

Aubrey and Jesse sat down and laced up their skates and tucked their belongings under the bench. Jesse stood up and extended his hand to Aubrey to help her up. She pushed herself up, but she almost immediately fell down. Jesse grabbed her as she stumbled and helped her get her balance back.

"You can dance like an angel. Doesn't that take balance?"

"Yes, but I wasn't allowed to go skating as a kid, so when I did for the first time in high school, I sucked."

"Well don't worry. You'll be skating like a pro in no time!" Jesse told her. He grabbed her hand and led her to the rink, joining the other people there.

Aubrey threw her arm out to get her balance back in place. Jesse couldn't help but laugh at her a little.

"Hold on a sec." Jesse told her. He skated around behind her. He put his hands on her waist. "Okay, now hold my wrists and don't pick up your feet." He added.

Aubrey grabbed Jesse's wrists that were slightly behind her. She felt herself start to move as Jesse started skating, pushing her as he moved. A huge smile erupted on to her face even though she wasn't technically doing anything.

"You like that?" Jesse whispered in here ear.

Aubrey nodded her head as they made their way around the rink. Jesse adjusted his arms and wrapped them around Aubrey's stomach so she was close to him. He continued to skate around a couple times as he held Aubrey in his arms.

"What would I be able to do without you?"

"Nothing. You would fall and hurt yourself on multiple occasions actually." Jesse teased.

Aubrey scrunched up her nose at Jesse who kissed it playfully.

"You know I love you!" Jesse defended.

"Yeah, yeah." Aubrey smirked.

* * *

After skating for a little bit and walking around the shopping center that was right there, Jesse decided it was time for the real date.

"Where are we going?" Aubrey asked curiously as they drove down the road.

"You'll see." He told her kindly.

"Oh come on! You know I hate surprises!"

"Well try not to hate this one."

Aubrey stuck out her bottom lip at Jesse who stole a quick glance at her. "It's not going to work, Aub."

"Fine." She pouted.

"You'll love it. I promise you!"

Aubrey's eyes lit up as she recognized the familiar road they turned down. "Jess!"

"I told you!"

Jesse helped Aubrey out of the car and laid down the blanket he had packed in the trunk. "Sit." He commanded. Aubrey did so as he made his way back to the trunk and returned carrying a picnic basket. "Dinner for two!" he said with his cheesy grin. Jesse sat down next to Aubrey and handed her a PB&J sandwich. "It's not romantic food, but it'll do."

"It's perfect Jesse. Thank you." Aubrey leaned over and kissed his lips. "I love you." She whispered.

Jesse kissed her back and smiled at her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box.

Panic flashed through Aubrey's eyes as she saw Jesse pull the little black box out. She loved Jesse, but she wasn't ready for that commitment yet. She still had to finish school and get her degree and get a job. Sure. Maybe down the line she'd get to that point in her life. Hopefully with Jesse. Aubrey felt her stomach start to turn as the awful feeling raced upwards. She covered her mouth as she choked down the bile back to her stomach. She wasn't going to ruin this with her awful impulses.

Jesse smiled at Aubrey and placed the velvet box in front of her.

"Jesse, I don't think I'm ready for this yet." She blurted out.

"Wait, what are you talking about Aubrey?"

"Marriage. I'm not read-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Relax Aub. I'm not proposing. If I were, it would be much better than this. You deserve so much better than this." He interrupted.

"But the box…"

Jesse opened the little box to reveal its content. Aubrey's face softened as her eyes fell upon it.

"I wanted to get you something special." Jesse confessed.

"I'm such an idiot. I'm so sorry Jesse."

"Hey, don't worry! It's okay!" he comforted.

"It's beautiful Jess. It really is." She said, picking up the necklace placed in the box. "Will you?" she asked, handing Jesse the necklace.

Jesse took the necklace as Aubrey turned around. He guided her hair over her shoulder and placed the necklace around her neck. Shivers ran down Aubrey's spine as his fingers lightly glided across her skin before hooking it together. Jesse kissed Aubrey's shoulder and pulled her hair back behind her before kissing the back of her head.

Aubrey twisted the silver skeleton key in her hand and smiled as she turned back to face Jesse.

"I love it! Thank you so much."

"You're more than welcome."

Jesse went and plugged his phone into his car radio and turned the music up.

"May I have this dance?" he asked Aubrey, extending his hand towards her.

"Why, of course!" she answered, placing her hand in his.

The two danced the night away as the music continued. Aubrey had her arms wrapped around Jesse's neck, and his arms were around her back as they swayed to the music. Aubrey smiled as the last song played through the stereo.

Memories came flooding back to when she first let her guard down around Jesse, how she performed it for him. He wasn't forcing her to do it, but she felt comfortable. It was the first time they really heard each other. The first time Aubrey realized. The first time she was truly happy.

Aubrey laid her head on his shoulder and quietly sang as they swayed.

_Slow down, you crazy child_

_And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile_

_It's alright; you can afford to lose a day or two_

_When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?_

Jesse kissed her forehead as he listened to Aubrey sing a song he had grown to love even more just because of her. He held her in his arms and closed his eyes as he hummed along, not wanting to drown out Aubrey's quiet voice.

"It's getting late. Maybe we should head back." Jesse suggested as Vienna came to an end.

"I guess you're right. I have classes tomorrow and can't miss them." Aubrey added.

They packed up his car and drove all the way back to the campus. Jesse held her hand the whole way there, not wanting to let go of her for one second.

When they got back on campus, Jesse walked Aubrey back inside the dorm hall. "Do you maybe want to stay over tonight?" he asked.

"Will you let me get up in the morning for class?" she asked jokingly.

"Would I ever keep you against your will?" he teased.

"I would love to stay with you tonight, Jesse." She whispered.

* * *

Jesse crawled into bed next to Aubrey who was already in her usual spot on his bed. He scooted close to her and wrapped his arm around her and held her tight.

"Happy Valentine's Day love." He whispered.

"Thank you for the best Valentine's ever. I love you Jesse!"

"I love you too, Aubrey."

Jesse kissed her forehead softly before laying back down. "Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Always!"

"Earlier, when you thought I was going to propose and you said you didn't want that-"

"It's not that I don't want it. I'm just not ready for that yet. You're the best thing that has happened to me, and I can't imagine life without you. We're just so young still. And we're in school too. I just want to wait for that." She explained.

"So you do want to get married though?"

"I hope so."

"Goodnight Aubrey. I love you so much."

"I love you more." Aubrey whispered as she buried her head in Jesse's chest and his blanket.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I was really excited to write this chapter oh my goodness! I made Alexis excited too, so I hope it's as good intended! Sorry it took so long!**

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

_Three days until finals:_

"Geez Jesse! I can do this on my own! I don't need you to be assisting me 24/7! I am a grown woman and know how to manage just fine. What the hell do you think I did before you?!" Aubrey screamed. She couldn't take it any longer. The stress of ICCA Finals and school starting to end soon was catching up to her.

"Damn it Aubrey! I'm just trying to help!"

"I don't need your help! You're not my-"

"I'm not your what?! Your boyfriend? Last time I checked, I sort of was!" Jesse yelled.

"Jess, I'm s-"

"No stop. If that's how you feel, maybe we should take a break."

"Are-are you breaking up with me?" Aubrey asked with tears in her eyes.

"I honestly don't know, but maybe we just need some time apart and see where things fall." Jesse sighed. "It's for the best."

Aubrey tried to muffle her sniffles and wiped her tears from her eyes. She slowly nodded her head as she resisted the urge to fall on the floor.

Jesse quietly left her dorm and made his back to his. His heart was hurting. That was the worst feeling he has ever experienced, and he had wished he would never have to. Some wishes just don't come true.

Aubrey collapsed on her floor as Jesse closed the door behind him. The tears she had tried so hard to wipe away were streaming down her puffy cheeks. She clutched her stomach as she heaved through her violent sobs. She didn't really know what just happened, but she knew it was her own fault.

* * *

Jesse paced around his room feeling nauseous. "What just happened?" he muttered to himself. He picked up his pace and let his emotions get the best of him. He pulled his arm back and met the wall with his fist in a split second. He shook his hand and stared at the hole he just made. His stomach dropped when he came to his senses. He didn't have Aubrey.

Chloe unlocked the door and instantly saw her best friend on her knees, clutching her stomach and crying her eyes out. "Aubrey, are you okay? Oh my God what happened?"

Aubrey couldn't form her words, but she threw herself into Chloe's arms and cried. Chloe tried to get her to calm down to tell her what happened, but it wasn't working.

"Is it Jesse?" she asked quietly.

Aubrey nodded her head slightly and struggled to catch her breath as the mention of his name brought tears to her eyes.

"Shh baby it's alright! It's going to be okay, Aubrey. I promise you." Chloe said as calm as possible.

"I…ruined…us" Aubrey managed between gasps for air.

"Aubrey, I need you to tell me what happened. Can you do that please?"

Aubrey forced herself to stop shaking and wiped her tears as best as she could.

"I was trying to work on some papers for NYU after Bellas and I was so tired. Jesse" she paused at the mention of his name. "Jesse stopped by and was being sweet and saw me stressing and offered to help. I thought it was cute, but he just kept getting in the way. I couldn't take it Chloe! This is really important to me and I really needed to get it done, but he was distracting me. Then he started treating me like I was incapable of completing my essays for early admissions. I broke. I couldn't handle it anymore Chloe! I yelled at him!" Aubrey whimpered.

"It's okay. Couples fight! It makes you stronger!" Chloe murmured, trying to comfort Aubrey in her arms.

"I almost said he's not my boyfriend, and he knew it."

"Aubrey, why would you say that? You've been dating for almost one year!"

"I don't know Chloe! I panicked." she cried. "He suggested we take a break for a while." Aubrey said quietly, wiping her tears away.

Chloe held her best friend in her arms and rocked her back and forth until she cried herself to sleep. She had never seen her like that. Not even when her father was rude to her.

There was a light knock on the door. Chloe couldn't move without waking Aubrey up, so she half whispered, half yelled "It's open!"

Beca opened the door and took one look at Chloe and Aubrey. "Is she okay?" she whispered.

Chloe shook her head no and looked back at Aubrey who had puffy eyes and stained cheeks.

Beca went out and closed the door behind her. She had to make a quick stop.

* * *

"Damn it Beca! Can't you knock?" Jesse yelled as the tiny brunette barged into his dorm.

"What the hell happened?" Beca yelled, noticing the hole and then looking over at his left hand.

Jesse tucked his arm behind him and hung his head. "I don't want to talk about it." He muttered.

"Well, little miss 'stick up her ass but not so much since you two have been together' cried herself to sleep on _my _girlfriend. If something didn't happen, that would be you in there holding her."

Jesse fumbled around his dorm and muttered under his breath. "We fought okay."

"What's the big deal? Chloe and I fight sometimes too."

"She started to say I wasn't her boyfriend, Becs." Jesse said quietly.

"Oh honestly, she doesn't mean it. She gets so uptight when she has to do something. You should know by now not to take anything personal when she's stressed."

"You don't understand Beca. Maybe this is the universe telling us to re-evaluate everything."

"No. Don't you dare say that Swanson. I may not have always liked her, but I have never seen two people more perfect for each other. You two are the oddest pair, but it's like that's how it's meant to be. Don't you dare give up."

"We're taking a breather. Maybe once finals are over, we'll see." Jesse mumbled.

"Remember when I texted you before we all went bowling last year?" Beca asked.

"Yeah. You asked if I loved her, for some odd reason." He recalled.

"And you said, and I quote, 'Yes I do. I can't imagine being with anyone else.' End quote. None of us can see you with anyone else. She's the one. She's your soul mate, Jess, and I'm not going to sit here and let her slip away because you both probably screwed up."

"Becs, can't you just give me until finals to figure this all out? I still need to process it all."

"Fine. But processing this does not mean you can go around hitting walls whenever you get upset."

"Deal."

"You really should ice that." Beca smirked as she left his dorm room.

* * *

Beca walked back into Chloe and Aubrey's dorm once more. She crouched down to Chloe and whispered something in her ear. Chloe's eyes lit up as she listened to her girlfriend's plan. She nodded as Beca went through the details. "Call the girls for me, Becs." Chloe grinned. "I'll get her on board."

* * *

Jesse called an emergency Trebles meeting the next morning. He had something he had to do.

"Look guys. I royally screwed up. I need to figure out a way to fix this, but it's you guys' decision."

Jesse explained what happened and his plan to the Trebles. Some had worried looks on their faces, but some were nodding and excited about it.

"We got this Jesse. Don't you worry." Donald assured.

With that, Jesse nodded, and the guys went to work.

* * *

**_Finals:_**

"Are you sure it's going to work Chloe?" Aubrey asked with pain in her eyes. She still hadn't talked to Jesse, let alone seen him at all.

"You love him, right?"

"Of course I do! You know that!"

"Then go out there and show him that!" Chloe perked! "You can thank Beca later!" she teased.

Aubrey half smiled and went to make sure everyone else was situated to perform. As she was getting an extra mic, she saw a familiar figure walk in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat as he turned around and looked at her with such sadness in his eyes.

"Hey, um, good luck out there." She said quietly.

"Thanks. You too." He told her before joining the other Trebles to go on stage.

"Thanks. You too?" she muttered to herself. "Chloe it's not going to work!" she whined as tears formed in her eyes.

"Whoa easy there, Bree. Don't cry. Don't stress. Everything is going to be perfect, okay! You need to trust me on this."

Aubrey nodded her head softly. She grabbed Chloe's hand, who in turn grabbed Beca's and walked to the edge of the wing to watch the Trebles perform their songs.

Aubrey fidgeted when she realized this wasn't the set he had planned. It was new. Really new. Aubrey listened intently as Jesse's voice filled the auditorium.

_When I look into your eyes_

_It's like watching the night sky_

_Or a beautiful sunrise_

_Well, there's so much they hold_

_And just like them old stars_

_I see that you've come so far_

_To be right where you are_

_How old is your soul?_

_Well, I won't give up on us_

_Even if the skies get rough_

_I'm giving you all my love_

_I'm still looking up_

_And when you're needing your space_

_To do some navigating_

_I'll be here patiently waiting_

_To see what you find_

Chloe squeezed Aubrey's hand as Donald, Benji, and Jesse transitioned to the next song.

_Baby, I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man_

_Who's in the middle of something_

_That he doesn't really understand._

_Baby, I'm a man,_

_And maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me._

_Baby, won't you help me to understand?_

_Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh._

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time,_

_Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you._

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song,_

_Right me when I'm wrong-_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you._

Jesse kept looking to where she was standing in the wing with an apologetic smile on his face.

* * *

"It looks like the Trebles leader, Jesse Swanson, has his mind somewhere else. He's singing like an angel, but not to us! I mean, just listen to these song choices, John!" Gail announced to the camera.

"You're so right Gail! Who is this lovely lady that stole his heart?" John asked jokingly.

"I'm not sure, but I want to find out!"

"Well would you look at that! He's pulling out the old trick with this song!"

* * *

_In your eyes_

_The light the heat_

_In your eyes_

_I am complete_

_In your eyes_

_I see the doorway to a thousand churches_

_In your eyes_

_The resolution of all the fruitless searches_

_In your eyes_

_I see the light and the heat_

_In your eyes_

_Oh, I want to be that complete_

_I want to touch the light_

_The heat I see in your eyes. _

_I won't give up on us_

_Even if the skies get rough_

_I'm giving you all my love_

_I'm still looking up_

* * *

The Trebles finished the last song and made their way to their seats as the audience continued to cheer them on. They sounded just as amazing as usual, if not better.

Aubrey stood speechless in the wings. "What just happened?" she muttered.

"He loves you. That's what happened." Chloe told her, squeezing her hand once more, earning a small smile from Aubrey.

"Alright girls, circle up. You guys are the best group of Bellas I have ever worked with, and I am so glad to have worked with you all during my final year. Thank you so much. And thank you so much for the little adjustment we made. I love you girls from the bottom of my heart." Aubrey told the Bellas as they all held hands in a circle.

"Go get boy toy back, flatbutt!" Fat Amy nearly shouted.

* * *

The girls took their spots on stage and waited as Chloe counted them off.

Aubrey took a deep breath before starting her song. Her song to apologize for being a bitch to the only guy she's ever cared about in her entire life.

_Everybody needs a little time away, _

_I heard her say,_

_From each other._

_Even lovers need a holiday,_

_Far away from each other._

_Hold me now,_

_It's hard for me to say I'm sorry,_

_I just want you to stay..._

_After all that we've been through,_

_I will make it up to you,_

_I promise to._

_And after all that's been said and done,_

_You're just the part of me I can't let go._

_Couldn't stand to be kept away,_

_Just for the day,_

_From your body_

_Wouldn't want to be swept away,_

_Far away from the one that I love _

Chloe quickly took over for the next song for the group with her spunky voice bouncing all over the auditorium.

_The sun goes down_

_The stars come out_

_And all that counts_

_Is here and now_

_My universe will never be the same_

_I'm glad you came_

_You cast a spell on me, spell on me_

_You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me_

_And I decided you look well on me, well on me_

_So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me_

Beca joined in as she started harmonizing and switched songs one last time before they were finished. She caught a quick glance at Aubrey who was dancing around on stage and looking over at Jesse.

_I can't win, I can't reign_

_I will never win this game_

_Without you, without you_

_I am lost, I am vain,_

_I will never be the same_

_Without you, without you_

_I won't run, I won't fly_

_I will never make it by_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't rest, I can't fight_

_All I need is you and I,_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't quit now, this can't be right_

_I can't take one more sleepless night_

_Without you, without you_

_I won't soar, I won't climb_

_If you're not here, I'm paralyzed_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't look, I'm so blind_

_I lost my heart, I lost my mind_

_Without you, without you_

_The universe will never be the same_

_I can't take one more sleepless night without you_

_I will make it up to you. I promise to…_

The audience stood up and applauded the girls as the finished their set. All the girls hugged on stage and stood there as the audience continued to cheer. Aubrey found Jesse amongst the crowd. She felt Chloe nudging her with her elbow. Aubrey quickly hugged Chloe and Beca before making her way to the crowd. She only had one stop on her mind.

Aubrey ran down the stairs into the audience. She ran into the row where Jesse was sitting and wrapped her arms around him. Jesse's arms quickly wrapped around her as he pressed his lips against hers. Neither of them wanted to break that kiss.

* * *

"What in the world do we have here, John? Senior Aubrey Posen, a Barden Bella, hooking up with senior, Jesse Swanson, a Treblemaker! This is unheard of! I love it!"

"That is such an odd combination. It's quite cute, if I say so myself!" John added.

"Well there you have it folks, they are cute. Right out of the mouth of my pal, John!"

* * *

"Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be in love with you?" Jesse asked, pressing his forehead against Aubrey's.

"I've missed you so much, Jesse. I really am sorry. I'm sorry I was such a bitch and didn't handle it properly."

"I'm sorry for overreacting about it. You were stressed and I wasn't helping the matter."

"I love you with my whole heart, Jesse Dean Swanson."

"And I love you with mine, Aubrey Rose Posen."

Jesse cupped her face and kissed her again. Boy! Did he miss doing that!

* * *

"And in first place, for the very first time ever, let's give it up for… The Barden Bellas!"

All of the girls ran up to the stage when they were announced the winners.

"We did it!" Aubrey squealed, hugging Chloe and Beca.

"I told you we would be aca-awesome!" Chloe said with a wink.

* * *

Everyone was down in the hotel bar celebrating the win of the girls. The two groups were mingling with each other. Some, more than mingling. Jesse and Aubrey walked over to the bar to order a drink. Aubrey was glad to feel Jesse's hand back in hers where it belonged. She felt so empty without him the past three days.

Jesse wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her cheek. He was leaning against the bar as they swayed to the music for a while, sipping their beers, being careful not to get drunk.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Jesse whispered in her ear. Aubrey nodded and set her drink down.

They walked hand in hand to the elevator of the hotel to go upstairs.

"I think we're on the same floor this year." Aubrey told him, once they were in the elevator alone.

"Who are you rooming with?" he asked her.

"Stacie. Chloe and Beca wanted 'private time', and we all know what that means."

"Well this works out nicely! I am rooming with Donald. He and Stacie were a little preoccupied, so it's safe to say one of our rooms will be empty tonight."

"Ah. I see. Shall I text Stacie?"

"Don't worry about it. I already texted Donald." He said with a wink.

Jesse led Aubrey to his room on the 7th floor.

"I brought something for you." Jesse told her as he unzipped his suitcase. He threw the hoodie she had claimed to her.

Aubrey grinned and held it close to her. "I love you Jesse. I really love you."

"I know you do. And I love you so much Aubrey." He said, wrapping her in his arms.

"I'm…going…to…get…changed." She said between planting kisses on his lips. "And I'm stealing these!" she teased as she grabbed a pair of boxers from his suitcase. She scurried off to the bathroom and slid out of her jeans and loose top and into the boxers and hoodie she usually wore.

When she walked out, Jesse was lying in bed, checking his phone. Aubrey crawled in bed next to him and pulled the blankets over her. Jesse wrapped his arm around her as he scrolled through his feed. He leisurely ran his fingers up and down her side. As he was doing so, he felt something familiar. His mind flashed back to the day they started dating, to the night when he really learned about Aubrey. He made her a promise that night. He swore to her that he'd never leave her.

"You know, these past few days made me realize something." Aubrey sighed.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"I was stupid enough to almost let you leave my life. Every minute of those days was pure hell for me. My whole body ached and trembled. You are the love of my life, and I could have ruined that. I didn't know if I was ever going to hold you again or kiss you again. I was terrified. I've waited my whole life for you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I jeopardizedus. You've taken such a huge part of my heart. I can't bear the thought of not being with you. I want to be with you forever."

"Aubrey. I love you to the moon and back a billion times. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I can assure you that it was living hell for me. I yearned to hold you once again. I can't think of being with another person or seeing you with someone else. And I made a promise to you. I swore I would never leave you, ever. I'm not going to. I'm going to be right here no matter how mad you get. I promise to."

"Jess?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

"I'm ready."

"Ready for what? OH! Oh! You're _ready!_ Are you sure Aubrey? We are in no rush. We have a lifetime together!"

"I'm positive." She said, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Me too." He whispered into her ear, placing a passionate kiss on her lips.

Jesse grabbed her waist and pulled her on top of him. "I love you Aubrey."

She leaned down and started to kiss him. Jesse grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him, and at the contact of their skin, a mixture of emotions shot straight into her system. Everywhere their skin touched, she felt a sizzling, burning sensation, and her breath kept coming in short as the time ticked on. From the way his hands were moving, it was clear to tell that their desires were mutual. Jesse reached up and pulled her deeper into the covers with him, into a never-ending abyss of pleasure, desire, and love.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys like it! Songs used: I won't give up-Jason Mraz, Maybe I'm amazed-Paul McCartney, In Your Eyes-Peter Gabriel, After All that We've Been Through-Chicago, Glad You Came-the Wanted, Without You-David Guetta.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I hope you liked the last chapter! So, as you can tell, school is ending for them soon. I am still going to continue it! I have a plan! **

***cue A Thousand Years* that's sort of what I heard in my head at the end of last chapter**

**Here's a short what happened after tidbit for you guys that I tortured with waiting so long!**

**Chapter 21:**

Aubrey gazed up at the ceiling and pulled the covers up over her bare body. It was everything she'd thought it would be. No. It was better than anything she'd ever experienced in her entire life. She gave up something she could never get back. She gave it to the love of her life.

Jesse watched as Aubrey stared up at the ceiling. She was the most beautiful person in the world. Her eyes sparkled. They had a different shine to them, one she didn't have before. The moment he shared with Aubrey was better than anything else. It was personal and intimate. It was something he'd never be able to experience on that level ever again.

Jesse wrapped his arm around Aubrey and pulled her close to him. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and softly kissed her forehead. "I am completely in love with you, Aubrey." He whispered into her ear.

Aubrey's stomach fluttered as his breath lingered on her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She curled her fingers around his hand and gently kissed it. "You have stolen my heart, Jesse. It's yours forever, I hope you know." Aubrey said quietly, placing a kiss along his jawline. "I am undeniably in love with you."

"Promise me you'll never run, Aubrey."

"No running. Promise me you'll love me even when I'm old and senile."

"I will love you for an eternity."

The two sat up and slipped their clothes back on before crawling back under the covers. Aubrey curled her small figure up next to Jesse's and pulled his arm around her. She placed her hand over his and gently traced light patterns with her nails. Jesse placed small, featherlike kisses along the nape of her neck.

"Goodnight beautiful." He whispered.

"Goodnight Jesse. I love you."

"I love you too sweetie."

* * *

Aubrey woke up in Jesse's arms. It was something she had missed in their days apart.

Jesse rubbed his eyes and grinned at his girlfriend who was staring at him with her kind eyes. "Good morning sleeping beauty!" he said with his adorable grin, placing a kiss on Aubrey's forehead.

"Good morning sleepy head!" she cooed. "You want to go get breakfast downstairs?" she asked.

Jesse kissed Aubrey softly. "Absolutely. I'm starved."

Aubrey scurried to her room down the hall and put on clothes. She met Jesse back at his room before heading downstairs to get food.

"Where'd you two disappear to last night? You left kind of early!" Chloe squealed when Aubrey and Jesse walked to the breakfast area, hand in hand.

"Upstairs." Aubrey giggled.

"Oh, I see!" Chloe teased. "A lot of catching up to do?"

"Something like that." Jesse smirked.

"You dirty little birds!" Chloe squealed loudly, drawing attention to the three of them. Aubrey blushed and squeezed Jesse's hand.

"What's all the fuss flat butt?" Amy hollered.

"Nothing. There is no fuss. No fuss at all." She blurted quickly.

"It smells a little funky in here. It smells like _bull shit._" The Australian smirked.

"We have a couple of dirty little birds in our presence!"

"Chloe!" Aubrey whined.

"Ah. Little Miss Innocent isn't so innocent anymore!" Fat Amy joked.

"Okay. That's enough. We came to eat since we're hungry." Aubrey said, leading Jesse away from the group.

"Well I bet you are just all worn out from last night! You need to keep up your stamina!"

"AMY!"

"What?! It's true!"

* * *

Aubrey and Jesse finished their breakfast and decided to go get ready for the day. They had one final day in New York, and they wanted to spend it together.

"Jess, did I leave my phone in here?" Aubrey asked, looking around his room.

"Oh, yeah. Here it is! Oh your mom is calling you!"

"My mom?" she asked, answering the call.

_"Hi darling! Congratulations on your big win last night! You were fantastic!"_

_"Wait! You came?"_

_"Of course we did! It was your last one!"_

_"We?"_

_"Your father is right here next to me. Are you staying for one more day, or are you heading back today?"_

_"We're staying today. Jesse and I were going to do stuff around the city, I think." _

_"Well, we would love it if we could meet up with you two for lunch or something!"_

_"Sounds great mom! I'll see you then!"_

"Well it looks like we have lunch plans with my parents." Aubrey sighed.

"This should be fun." Jesse smirked, recalling the last time he and her father met.

"Is your family here? I'm dying to see them!"

"I think they are still here! I saw them last night before and right after, but then I got a little distracted by the best thing that's ever entered my life!" Jesse smirked.

"Hmm." Aubrey giggled, kissing him softly on his lips. "Guilty as charged."

"I'll call mom and see what they're doing real quick!" Jesse said excitedly, pulling out his phone and dialing her number.

_"Hey Jesse! How are you? Is everything okay?"_

_"Hi mom! I'm fine! I was wondering if you were still in town for one more day. Bree and I are having lunch with her parents. If you're still here, maybe you could meet them."_

_"Oh of course! I would love to! And I know Jordan is dying to see Aubrey. How is the special lady anyways?"_

_"She's amazing, as usual! She's standing right here blushing because we're talking about her actually."_

_"Well you two have fun today. We will see you guys at lunch!"_

_"Okay! Bye mom! I love you!"_

"Well, we've got two hours to kill. What would you like to do sweetheart?" Jesse asked Aubrey who was staring out the window, over the city.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You've got this huge city to explore, and you want to do nothing?"

"Okay fine. We can go to Times Square. I just want to be with you today."

"Honey, you aren't getting rid of me at all." Jesse assured her.

* * *

Jesse and Aubrey walked around Times Square together, hand in hand. They went in all the little shops and took pictures everywhere they could.

"Oh Jess! We have to go meet up at the restaurant!" Aubrey realized when she saw the time on her phone.

"Taxi!" Jesse yelled, causing a cab to stop for them to take them to lunch.

* * *

"Aubrey dear! You look wonderful! How are you sweetie pie?" Aubrey's mother greeted her as they met in the parking lot.

"Hi mom. I'm fine! Amazing actually! How are you?"

"I'm fine now that I got to see your beautiful face again!" she said, wrapping Aubrey in a tight hug.

Aubrey unwrapped herself and tried to avoid making eye contact with her father. It didn't work for very long.

"Congratulations, Aubrey. You girls were very good last night."

"Thank you, Dad."

Her father cleared his throat. "Jesse." He nodded.

"Mr. Posen." Jesse responded, extending his hand. Mr. Posen shook Jesse's hand and looked him up and down.

"Glad to see you again."

"Same goes for you, sir."

"Jess, I think your family is here!" Aubrey broke the awkwardness when she saw three familiar faces heading their way.

"Jesse! Aubrey!" Mrs. Swanson called as she crossed the parking lot with two kids trailing behind her.

"Mom! Hi!" Jesse called as she approached them. He wrapped her in a big hug for a few seconds.

"Thank you for inviting us with you guys!"

"Oh, Absolutely! Anytime! I wanted you to meet my family anyways!" Aubrey assured her.

"Aubrey hi!" Jordan squealed, wrapping Aubrey in a hug.

"Hey kiddo! How have you been? How's school?"

"It's going pretty well. A lot better than last year."

"That's good to hear! Anyone special?" she asked quieter.

"Well, there is this one guy I have been talking to a lot." She giggled.

"You'll have to tell me all about it later!" Aubrey squealed.

"You must be Aubrey's parents!" Mrs. Swanson said excitedly. "I'm Beth Swanson, Jesse's mom!" she said, shaking both of their hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Beth. I'm Janice, and this is my husband Robert!"

"You know Jesse, but this is my daughter, Jordan, and my other son Mark." Beth said, gesturing to the two teens who were talking to Aubrey and Jesse.

* * *

The seven of them sat down and ate lunch. The conversation flowed for the most part with a few awkward pauses here and there. Jesse stayed on his best behavior and made sure they weren't too coupley in front of everyone. Aubrey made sure her father knew she still had straight A's since it was nearing the end of the term. Beth and Janice really hit it off well, but Robert just stayed back a little. He threw in some side comments here and there but nothing huge. Mark was talking to Jesse about school and girls while Jordan told Aubrey about her "guy friend" that she really likes.

"Jesse let me ask you one thing." Aubrey's father started.

"Of course!"

"Now that school is ending for you two, what are your plans for the future?"

"Well, throughout college, I worked at the Radio Station to earn a little extra cash and to be around music. I was actually accepted into NYU's grad school for a major in music. I've made a few connections up here with composers. That's what I want to do. I want to compose scores. Bring people to tears, you know!"

"I see." He grumbled.

"But I will be minoring in math, so I will have that available as well." Jesse added, trying to please him just a little bit.

"Well, I hope you're good at what you do. I only want the best for my little girl."

"I know that, sir. That's all I want, too." Jesse assured him, placing his hand on Aubrey's thigh.

"Aubrey, you focus on your studies. Do you understand?"

"Yes dad. School comes first. I know that." She assured him.

* * *

Aubrey hugged her parents' goodbye while Jesse said goodbye to his family.

"Will you come visit again?" Jordan asked Aubrey and Jesse.

"Absolutely!" Aubrey told her.

"Again?" her father asked quietly.

"Robert, stop. She's not a baby anymore." Janice told him quietly.

Jesse wrapped his arms around Aubrey's waist and kissed her softly.

Her father cleared his throat again, causing Aubrey and Jesse to stop. She placed her hand on his chest and rested her forehead against his with a small, annoyed smile on her face.

"Well Aubrey, it was wonderful to see you again. Please come back home and visit for a few days. You can bring Jesse along. A little bonding time might do your father good."

"I don't think so." Robert muttered.

"Dad, look. You have to try and meet me halfway. You want what's best for me. Well wakeup call! Jesse's best for me! I love him so much. I love him as much as you guys love me. I need you to see that and just try. I don't want you hating him for the rest of our lives."

"Fine. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't work."

* * *

Jesse and Aubrey made their way back to the hotel and quickly packed their things. They headed to the airport and met the rest of the Bellas and Trebles before heading back to Barden.

Aubrey dropped her things off at her dorm before going over to Jesse's dorm.

"It's good to be back. It's so weird to think that we will be up there in the fall!" she told him as she plopped down on his bed as he unpacked his things.

"Time flies when you're with those you love!"

Jesse popped in a movie and crawled in bed next to Aubrey.

"I really missed this." She admitted. "I know it was only three days, but still."

"Well, we don't have to worry about that again."

"I love you Jesse."

"And I love you Aubrey."

* * *

**a/n: so much for short. This was much longer than intended but whatever. It's a quick update.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Sorry for the random time leaps! I really want to continue this AFTER Barden, which means they have to finish up at Barden. Hence the skipping through the year. I already know what I want to do with this for the most part with some minor details to work out! Hopefully it will start to get better!**

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

Aubrey sniffled and crawled out of bed to silence the loud knocking on the door. Her head throbbed and her stomach churned along with that burning in her throat. She shuffled over to the door and quietly opened it, squinting to see who was standing there.

"Oh God, Aubrey. You look like hell! What's wrong sweetie?" Jesse tenderly asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Gee thanks, Jess. I feel like crap. I don't know what it is. Its making me want to crawl in a hole and die."

"I'm sorry, honey. Come here. Let's get you back into bed so you can rest." Jesse walked Aubrey back to her bed and pulled the covers up over her body. "What hurts?" he asked.

"Everything." Aubrey groaned.

Jesse placed the back of his hand against her forehead for a few seconds. "You're burning up. You need to drink some water." He instructed, opening up a water bottle for her.

Aubrey drank some small sips before her stomach rejected it. She hopped up and ran to the trashcan and emptied the little that was in her stomach. Jesse stood right behind her and held her hair back. He wrapped his arm around her stomach and rubbed soothing circles on her back to calm her down.

"Okay, bad idea." He muttered, wiping the tears from Aubrey's eyes. "I'm going to carry you to my room since I have a bathroom, okay?"

Aubrey nodded as Jesse picked her up. He carried her down the hall to his dorm and set her on his bed.

"What a great birthday." She mumbled under her breath.

Jesse kissed her forehead and pulled his covers over her tiny body. "You're going to get better." He whispered. "I promise."

Aubrey closed her eyes and tried to sleep some while Jesse moved around his room. She could spaciously hear a conversation but just tuned it out since she was exhausted.

* * *

Jesse pulled out his phone and called his mom. She would know what to do in this situation. After all, she has three kids.

"_Hey Jesse! How are you? It's so good to hear from you!" _she practically squealed into the phone.

"_Hi mom. I'm fine. I actually have a question that is right up your alley."_

_"Oh go ahead!"_

_"Aubrey's not feeling well. She's got a fever and she just threw up. What do I need to do for her?" _he asked, peering over at his sleeping girlfriend.

"_Aw. I'm sorry to hear that she's under the weather. You need to bring her temperature down, so put a cool washrag on her head for a while. If you can, run to the store and get some soup and this medicine. Do you have paper and a pen? I know you will forget it."_

Jesse scrambled about and pulled a piece of paper out and grabbed a pen from his desk. "_Yep. All ready."_

_"Okay, good. Get some Tylenol Cold & Flu, Ibuprofen, it'll help with the fever, Nyquil, and Mucinex. Pick up some chicken noodle soup and some saltines while you're at."_

Jesse scribbled down the list and went over it one more time with his mom. "_Thank you mom. Talk to you soon. Love you!"_

_"I love you too, Jesse. Give Aubrey my best."_

_"Will do, mom."_

Jesse went and got a wet washrag and draped it over Aubrey's forehead. She woke up a little bit when the cold met her warm skin.

"Hey sweetie. I'm going to run to the store. I'll be right back. You'll be better in no time. I love you."

Aubrey mumbled something that was undecipherable before falling back asleep.

Jesse wrote her a note just in case she didn't remember that conversation and happened to wake up while he was gone.

* * *

Jesse drove to Walgreens which happened to be relatively close. He put the medicine his mom had told him into the basket and went and got some soup and crackers for Aubrey. He also got an icepack to put in his "freezer" section of his mini fridge. He also threw a thermometer in there just so he could make sure her fever was going down.

As he was checking out, the cashier noticed his contents.

"You have a sick one?" she asked.

Jesse nodded and pulled out his wallet.

"Gatorade and Sprite help too. So does Ginger Ale." She told him.

"Oh right! Of course!" Jesse exclaimed, running to the drinks and picking up a pack of Gatorade and a bottle of Sprite and Ginger Ale. "Thank you."

"No problem. I have two little ones of my own at home."

"Well, my girlfriend is back at school, sick to her stomach. I had to call my mom for advice." He admitted.

"There's nothing wrong with that." She assured him, handing him the receipt. "I hope your girlfriend feels better."

"Thanks. I do too."

* * *

Jesse carried the bags back into his dorm. So he might have gone a little overboard, but his princess is sick. He needed to take care of her! "Aubrey sweetie, can you wake up? I have crackers for you. You need to try to eat so you can take some medicine." He said quietly, gently shaking his girlfriend.

Aubrey stirred and rolled over to face Jesse. "What was that?" she asked hoarsely.

"You need to eat something. I have some crackers for you." He said, handing her a couple of crackers.

Aubrey sat up and attempted to eat the crackers in small bites while Jesse got her some medicine and a small glass of Ginger Ale.

As soon as the cool liquid slid down her throat, her stomach churned, causing Aubrey to spring up and run to Jesse's bathroom. He ran in behind her and saw her leaning over the toilet. He held her hair back so it wasn't in the way. Aubrey clutched her stomach as she emptied its contents into the toilet. Jesse was doing his best to calm her down.

Aubrey couldn't stomach anything until almost noon. It was a constant battle between hunger and sickness.

Jesse made Aubrey a bowl of soup for her to try to eat. "Bree, you need to try to eat some of this. You'll feel better if you do!" he coaxed. Jesse watched as she pitifully ate the soup, taking her time to see if she felt the need to vomit again. "Do you want me to put a movie in?" he asked. Aubrey nodded as she continued to eat her soup and began to drink some Gatorade.

Jesse picked out a movie and grabbed his laptop. He sat down next to Aubrey in bed.

"Jess, I'm going to get you sick if you sit close to me. You don't need to be sick."

"Aubs, I don't really care. It's your birthday and you're miserable. I'm going to sit by you."

Aubrey sighed and scooted over to make room for him on his bed. "I love you Jesse, even when you're stubborn."

"Well, being stubborn is my thing, so!" he teased, causing Aubrey to giggle.

"Stop! It hurts when I laugh!" she cry-laughing.

"I have something that will cheer you up!" he said, holding up the Peter Pan Dvd case.

Aubrey smiled as she saw what movie he had picked out.

"I knew you would love it." Jesse said with his dorky grin plastered on his face. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I like Aubrey germs." He teased, kissing her forehead.

Jesse started the movie and held Aubrey in his arms. She rested her head on his chest. Jesse could feel that her head was still warm, indicating that her fever hadn't gone down yet. Aubrey started shivering even under the blankets. Jesse pulled her even closer and pulled the blankets all the way over her. He wrapped his arms around her to warm her up even though her temperature was high.

It didn't take long for Aubrey to fall asleep. Even though Peter Pan is her favorite movie, she was completely exhausted. Jesse kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair gently. He didn't like seeing her like this. It made him sad that he can't instantaneously make her better, no matter how hard he tried.

Aubrey woke up later, but Jesse wasn't in the room. She didn't freak out, but she was curious. "He probably went back to the store." She thought.

Not long after her waking up, Jesse snuck in carrying a bag and a white box.

"Hey Sweetie! Are you feeling any better?" he asked, setting the things down and sitting down next to her.

"I think so. I don't feel nauseous anymore, which is good." Aubrey mumbled, still not fully awake.

"That's good." Jesse told her, kissing the top of her head. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"A little. What did you bring?" she asked curiously, gesturing to the bag and box.

"Well I was hoping you'd still be asleep when I got back, but whatever." He said, handing her the bag.

Aubrey's eyes lit up as she took out the tissue paper. She pulled out the scrapbook and set it in her lap. She opened it up and looked at all of the pictures and captions that were in it. It started with the very first picture they took together and went all through the course of the year, including her favorite one of all time.

* * *

_Aubrey and Jesse had taken a day trip to Myrtle Beach while she had visited over the summer. It wasn't that far away, and the weather was nice. Aubrey was just glad she happened to pack a bathing suit. They had spent the day at the pier and went to all the little shops. They spent half of the day in the water even though it was chilly. It felt good since it was so hot outside._

_As the sun was starting to set, Jesse brought up the fact that they had yet to take a picture together. _

_"We have to take one, Aubs. It's like in the dating handbook or something!" he teased._

_"You are such a dork. Do you know that?"_

_"I do!" he grinned._

_Jesse asked someone if they would take their picture, and they were happy to. _

_Jesse took Aubrey by surprise and scooped her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes. He crashed his lips against hers like the waves crashed on the shore. Aubrey couldn't help but grin. Her stomach still filled with butterflies every time their lips met. The calmness of the ocean and the setting sun just made everything that much more perfect. _

_"I love you!" he whispered into her ear. _

_"I love you too." _

_Jesse got his phone back and looked at the picture of them kissing. "Wow you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I mean it." He told her, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. _

_"I could say the same for you." Aubrey giggled._

* * *

"I love this Jesse. It's absolutely perfect." Aubrey told him.

"I'm glad you like it. Chloe helped put it all together since I'm not creative at all." He admitted, causing her to giggle.

"Well I love it."

"There's something else!" he exclaimed.

Aubrey quickly reached in the bag and pulled out a little blue Tiffany's drawstring bag. A small gasp escaped her tiny mouth as she pulled out the small box. She gently opened it and felt tears in her eyes. It was an infinity ring. It was simple, but elegant. It was perfect.

"Jesse, wow! I don't even know what to say. Thank you so much. I love you Jesse."

"Do you like it? I wasn't sure if you would like it, but Chloe said you would."

"I love it Jess. Do you want to put it on?" she asked.

His eyes lit up as she asked him. He carefully picked up the ring and slid it onto her ring finger. He kissed her hand and wrapped Aubrey in a hug.

"I love you so much Aubrey."

"I love you too Jesse." She said weakly.

"I ordered you something, not counting on the fact of you being sick."

"What do you mean?" Aubrey asked curiously.

Jesse opened the white box and revealed an oversized cupcake with a heart on it. Jesse put a candle on it and lit it.

"Make a wish!" he said goofily.

"I'm pretty sure you have to sing to me first." Aubrey teased.

"I think I can manage that." He smirked before singing her Happy Birthday. "Now make a wish."

Aubrey closed her eyes for a second before blowing out the candle.

"Too bad I'd probably die if I ate that." She mumbled.

"It's alright. I'll keep it in the fridge." Jesse assured her.

"Thank you Jesse. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I love you Aubs."

"I love you too Jess."

"Do you want to take a shower or something?"

"Are you implying that I smell?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, no. I just mean since you're feeling a little better if you wanted to go shower or whatever." He defended.

"I know Jess. I think I'll do that." She told him before making her way back to his bathroom.

Jesse laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. For some reason, he couldn't get the thought of putting that ring on her finger. It honestly gave him butterflies. He knew when they started talking, that he'd be the one to put the final ring on her. Just the thought of putting two more rings on her finger sent chills down his spine.

Aubrey leaned against the shower wall and let the water run over her. She kept looking down at the ring Jesse had gotten her. It all felt right. Even though she felt like she'd been run over by a truck, it all still felt right. The way Jesse was looking at her when he put the ring on her finger made her heart skip a beat. Of course it would be a while before the thought of marriage ever came up. They're still in college. That's so far down the path to even think about. But it was there, in the back of her mind.

* * *

Aubrey got out of the shower and put a hoodie and sweatpants on. She downed some more medicine before crawling in bed next to Jesse.

"I'm sorry if you get sick." She told him.

"It's well worth it." He told her, kissing her nose.

Aubrey picked up the scrapbook and started looking through it again. When she flipped through all the pages, she came across a note Jesse had taped in there.

_I don't know what it is about her, but every time I see her, my heart pounds and my face gets all flustered. She takes my breath away even though we've hardly said two words until tonight. Tonight was different. She was different. It was like she wasn't even the same person. She let me in. Sort of. She did the best she could, given the circumstances. It felt right. God, I just wanted to kiss her. She probably would have slapped me so hard that I would have had a permanent impression of her delicate hand on my face. A constant reminder that I'm not good enough for her. I don't know what she would see in me, but I can't just ignore this. The worst she could say is "No." Well, she could friend zone or brother zone me. God, that would suck. I'm going to go for it. I don't know how, but I am. Just the sound of her name makes me get all nervous. Aubrey Posen._

Aubrey wiped away the tears that were on the verge of rolling down her cheeks. She looked over at Jesse who was watching her as she read the note he had written that night after he got back to his dorm.

"A year ago today, you really changed me." She whispered.

It took a few seconds for the gears to turn in Jesse's mind to process what she had said. "Wait what do you mean? That was a year ago? That was your-"

Aubrey cut him off by planting her lips on him. Well, he said he didn't care if he got sick or not.

"I love when you do that." He teased.

Aubrey curled up next Jesse, and he wrapped his arm around her tiny body.

"Can I ask you something Jesse?"

"Anything!"

"Why do you love me?"

"I don't even know where to begin. There are so many things I love about you like: your smile, the way your laugh fills an entire room … the way you look at those you love, your spirit, you have the voice of an angel… you aren't afraid to be yourself, you're independent, the way your hand fits so perfectly in mine…your silly giggles that you get when you're silly nervous, the way you know what you want in life. I could go on, but in reality, I just love everything about you."

Jesse looked over at Aubrey who was fast asleep and laughed to himself. "I love the way you complete me." He whispered before kissing her head.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: okay so there's going to be 2 parts to this and the second part should be more interesting. I just didn't want to attach it to the end of this. **

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

_Graduation day_

Chloe and Aubrey sat on the edge of Aubrey's mattress. Everything was all packed up again, just like it was at the end of each year. This time was different. This time, it was for good. Today closes a chapter in both of the young girls' lives. They both had different plans. Aubrey was heading to NYU while Chloe was heading to UCLA.

"Are you ready?" Chloe asked quietly, holding her best friend's hand.

"No." Aubrey whispered. "Are you?"

"No."

* * *

Jesse sat on the edge of his bed, staring at all the boxes that were piled up in his dorm. Graduation came so fast. It feels like he was just a freshman a few months ago. He only had a month and a half before he had to go to New York. He applied there to be with Aubrey, and he got accepted. A lot of people called him crazy because of it, but he didn't care. He loved her too much to be away from her.

* * *

Beca paced her room nervously. She glanced at her equipment that she was needing to pack. She never expected to graduate college, let alone finish freshmen year. If it weren't for that redhead spitfire she had grown to love, God knows where she would have ended up. She and Chloe were heading out to California to carry on their lives. She got a job offer from a top notch record company that was offering more money than she ever expected to be making. Chloe was going to medical school so she could be a pediatrician. Beca had one other thought on her mind though. She wanted to marry the redhead if it's the last thing she does.

* * *

Aubrey and Chloe walked with their arms linked to the courtyard, their gowns unzipped and their hats in hand. They met Beca and Jesse under the tree. Jesse switched with Chloe and laced his fingers in Aubrey's while Chloe grabbed Beca's hand.

"You guys ready?" Aubrey asked, keeping her focus straight ahead.

"Let's do this thing." Beca added.

The four of them walked to the courtyard that was filled with students and family members.

Aubrey glanced around and saw her mother and father in the crowd of people. She smiled slightly before focusing on her friends. They walked behind the stage and met the senior Bellas and Trebles. They exchanged hugs and shed some small tears before collecting themselves.

_"And now, for a special performance from the seniors of our very own Barden Bellas and Treblemakers!"_

The group ran onstage and looked out in the crowd. There were smiles and tears and looks of boredom.

Jesse held up his mic and looked out into the crowd of people.

"This chapter in our lives is coming to an end, but you have to make the best of it. This one's for you guys!"

With a nod of his head, the music started. Normally it would be all a Capella, but they decided to change things up a little bit.

"One! Two! One, two three!" Jesse yelled into his mic.

All of the senior Trebles joined Jesse as they performed the song they chose.

_Wake up kids _

_We've got the dreamers disease _

_Age 14 we got you down on your knees _

_So polite, you're busy still saying please _

_Fri-enemies, who when you're down ain't your friend _

_Every night we smash their Mercedes-Benz _

_First we run and then we laugh till we cry _

Aubrey, Chloe, and Beca joined in with them as they all danced around the stage singing their hearts out.

_But when the night is falling _

_and you cannot find the light _

_If you feel your dream is dying _

_Hold tight _

_You've got the music in you _

_Don't let go _

_You've got the music in you _

_One dance left _

_This world is gonna pull through _

_Don't give up _

_You've got a reason to live _

_Can't forget you only get what you give _

_Four a.m. we ran a miracle mile _

_were flat broke but hey we do it in style _

_The bad rich _

_God's flying in for your trial_

_But when the night is falling (falling)_

_You cannot, find a friend (find a friend)_

_You feel your tree is breaking_

_Just then_

_You've got the music in you_

_Don't let go_

_You've got the music in you_

_One dance left_

_This world is gonna pull through_

_Don't give up_

_You've got a reason to live_

_Can't forget_

_We only get what we give_

The Bellas smoothly made the transition into their song as the Trebles sang back up.

_The sun will still shine tomorrow_

_So it's time for moving on_

_There's not a second for sorrow_

_Even though the moments gone_

_The puzzle has so many pieces_

_But you can't, you can't hide_

_'Cause life just keeps on living_

_And sooner or later you'll find_

_This is not the end, no_

_Your day is gonna come_

_This is not the end, no_

_You're not the only one_

_We all have our ups and all have our downs_

_That we have to find a way around_

_This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

_This is not the end_

_Woah, woah_

_I know it's never easy_

_To pick yourself up again_

_Take a deep breath 'cuz you know that_

_It's time to look ahead_

_With one foot in front of other_

_That you can, you can fly_

_Into a better tomorrow_

_And leave yesterday behind_

_This is not the end, no_

_Your day is gonna come_

_This is not the end, no_

_You're not the only one_

_We all have our ups and all have our downs_

_That we have to find a way around_

_This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

_This is not the end_

Jesse found Aubrey on stage and wrapped his arm around her waist as they began to finish. Beca pulled Chloe over by her and kissed her cheek, and Donald and Stacie danced together.

_You've got the music in you_

_Don't let go_

_You've got the music in you_

_One dance left_

_This world is gonna pull through_

_Don't give up_

_You've got a reason to live_

_Can't forget_

_We only get what we give_

_Don't let go_

_I feel the music in you_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Don't ever give up, no_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_It's just a start now_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_It's just a start now_

_This is not the end, no_

_Your day is gonna come_

_This is not the end, no_

_You're not the only one_

_We all have our ups and all have our downs_

_That we have to find a way around_

_This is not the end, no, no, oh, oh, oh_

_This is not the end._

* * *

Everyone stood up and applauded the groups as they made their way off the stage and to their designated seats, unfortunately separated from each other. They listened as the speeches started before the names were called. Aubrey had to stop herself from crying multiple times. She was finally graduating. She could go off and do her own thing now. She choked back tears as Chloe's name was called. The wait was getting shorter as the list of names were called in alphabetical order.

_Beca Mitchell._

Beca got up and walked on stage and received her diploma. She saw her dad cheering wildly in the audience and Chloe giving her a thumbs up from her chair. She did it. She actually graduated college. Without running away or anything.

Names passed, making Aubrey nervous as her name approached. Wouldn't she be happy? Or sad? Why is she nervous?

_Aubrey Posen._

Aubrey got up out of her chair and walked on stage. She shook the dean's hand and received her diploma. She smiled for the cameras and looked out into the crowd and saw her parents. Her father was there, smiling. And Clapping…? Aubrey made eye contact with Jesse who was blowing her a kiss from his seat. She felt giddy all of a sudden. Her parents were clapping, and the love of her life was right there watching.

Aubrey walked back to her seat as names continued to be called. She turned around and looked at Jesse who was already looking at her. She grinned as he smiled like a dork before his name got called.

_Jesse Swanson._

Jesse hopped up and walked up to get his diploma. He stopped and shook hands and waited as the cameras flashed. Aubrey gave him two thumbs up when he saw her sitting out there with the biggest grin on her face.

They all sat through twenty more minutes of speeches of goodbyes and advice and the typical graduation speeches everyone gives.

_And now presenting the Barden University class of 2013!_

That was it. Regular college life they had all grown to love was over. Everyone cheered and threw their caps up in the air, just like they would in movies.

Aubrey ran over to Jesse, and he picked her up and spun her around.

"You did it!" he whispered into her ear as he spun her around.

"_We _did it." She squealed.

He set her down and grabbed her hand before they went to go see their parents.

Aubrey's mother spotted them and waved them down.

"Aubrey sweetie! I'm so proud of you! I love you so much." she squealed, wrapping Aubrey in her arms.

"Thanks mom. I love you too!" Aubrey told her, unwrapping herself. Before she could react, her father engulfed her with a hug.

"Congratulations Aubrey. I am proud of you."

Aubrey didn't know what to say or do. She stood there dumbfounded as she hugged her father back. "Th…thanks." She stuttered.

* * *

Jesse hugged his mom as tight as he could without hurting her. "Thanks for believing in me." He whispered as he hugged her.

"You are always making me proud, son. I love you."

"I love you too, ma."

He hugged Jordan and Mark too before returning to Aubrey's side.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as their families talked to them and each other.

Aubrey smiled and leaned into Jesse as they listened to their families. She looked up at him and kissed his cheek. "I love you." She cooed.

Jesse kissed her gently. "I love you too." He whispered.

"Would you like to go to dinner or something?" Aubrey's mother asked.

"Oh, actually mom. Chloe is having a graduation party, and she asked us to go. Is that okay with you? We can do dinner tomorrow or something. We've got time!" Aubrey piped in.

"Oh, of course sweetie! Go have fun!"

Aubrey kissed her parents cheeks before saying goodbye while Jesse told his mom and siblings goodbye.

He slipped his hand into hers as they went off to find Chloe.

"Tonight should be fun!" Jesse said excitedly.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! Beca's got a surprise, but I'm not allowed to say anything, so forget what I just said." He blurted.

"Tell me!" Aubrey said childishly.

"I can't! It's a secret!"

"You're no fun!" she teased.

"I'm not going to ruin a surprise!"

"Fine. It better be good."

"Oh it is."

"Now you're just torturing me." She told him.

"That's my job!" he joked.

They met Chloe and Beca along with the other seniors off to the side.

"Alright guys! Party is at my house! You guys have the address right?" Chloe piped.

Everyone nodded or mumbled "yeah" to her question.

"Great! I'll see you there. Prepare for a fun time." She smirked before running off with Beca.

"Everyone is going to get wasted!" Fat Amy whooped.

"Just what we need." Aubrey mumbled.

"Oh come on Aubs. We just finished school. Let's go have fun!" Jesse whispered in her ear.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I apologize for the late update! My schedule has been crazy but will be dying down relatively soon for a while! (that means more frequent updates so you can cheer or cry. whatever works.) Hope it's not too awful! I'm going to be doing a few filler chapters before starting the next plan with this story, so if you have any suggestions, I'm pretty much open to anything right now! R&R!**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

Chloe's house quickly filled up with people. They were all graduates, but they were also all Bellas or Trebles. They sort of became a family.

There were two things to be remembered that night. Okay, maybe three. Alcohol was definitely one of them.

Everyone had at least one drink. Some had two. Some had twenty-two, but who was keeping count?

Aubrey danced with Chloe and Stacie in the center of the dance floor, beer in hand. They were a little closer than they would have been had they all been sober, but they weren't, so they were very up close and personal with each other. Mostly Stacie and Aubrey though. Chloe was still semi-sober.

Jesse caught Aubrey's eye, so she walked over towards him while he was talking to Beca. His eyes lit up as she made her way over. He couldn't help but smile. Her curls bounced as she skipped over to him, and her eyes sparkled. All he could focus on was her. Now whether or not it was the alcohol or love, who knows?

"Hey sweetie!" he greeted her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Hey handsome!" she said drunkenly. "Hey Becs." She added.

"Enjoying the party?" she asked her.

Aubrey nodded and leaned into Jesse. He kissed the top of her head lightly.

"Good." Beca told her. "Hopefully you will later on, too." She added.

"Is that the secret?" Aubrey asked giggly. "Jesse wouldn't tell me." She added.

"It's something like that." Beca told her. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Jesse stayed by Aubrey's the entire night, making sure she didn't do anything they both know she'd regret in the morning. It wasn't much later when Beca stood up on the counter and started yelling to get everyone's attention.

"Hey guys!" she kept shouting. "Jesse can I have some help?"

Jesse put his fingers to his mouth and blew a loud, sharp whistle.

"Thanks." Beca mumbled.

"I hope you guys are having a really awesome time! Before things got too crazy, I wanted to get you guys' attention."

"Spit it out, smurf!" Jesse called, teasingly, earning some whoops from the others that were watching Beca.

"Chloe, can you come up here for a minute?" Beca asked.

Chloe carefully made her way up on the counter with Beca.

"What are you doing, Becs?" she asked quietly.

Beca tucked a loose strand of Chloe's fire-red hair behind her ear. She grabbed both of her hands gently and looked deep into those ocean blue eyes.

"Chloe, you're nuts. You are hyper and invasive and always happy. I don't get it. But for some reason, even the universe can't fathom, I fell in love with you. And boy, did I fall hard. I fell in love with your smile, your eyes, your laugh, you hugs, your touch, your voice, your smell. I've never really been one of those people who had relationships a lot. When I met you for the first time, I knew, for some ungodly reason, that we'd be friends. Little did I know that I would fall for you. Thank God you liked me back, or I would have looked like a complete and utter idiot. These past 3 and a half years have been the best years of my life, and I mean that. I love waking up next to you, taking in your presence as you're still snoozing. I love the way you grab my hand in public even if I was scared at first. I love the feather-like kisses you place on my lips when we long for each other's touch. We've pretty much been inseparable these past few years. Sorry about that, Aubrey. You've not only become my best friend, but you're the love of my life. Together we've completed this milestone of graduating college, something I didn't think I'd ever do. Thanks to you, we are both here. But this has made me realize something. College went by in the blink of an eye. Do we really remember all of the little things we did? Life is picking up the pace, and I can't face it alone. You're my rock. I guess that what I'm trying to say is: Chloe, I want to spend every waking moment of every day with you. I want to call you mine, even when we're old and senile. Chloe Beale, will you do me the greatest honor anyone could ever do to me and be my wife?"

Beca was down on one knee, holding Chloe's hands. Jesse tossed her the little black, velvet box he was holding for her. She opened it and showed Chloe the ring she and Jesse had picked out. Chloe had tears in her eyes as she looked down at Beca who had the biggest grin on her face.

"I would love nothing more than to be your wife, Beca Mitchell!" she squealed, wrapping Beca in a giant hug.

Beca carefully slid the ring on Chloe's finger before crashing her lips against Chloe's. Everyone was cheering for them both. It was intense.

Aubrey was smiling from ear to ear as she watched her best friend say yes to the smurf. Jesse couldn't help but notice Aubrey's grin. He pulled her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He kissed the top of her head lightly, distracting her from the actions around them.

"One day, that's going to be us up there. Don't you forget that, Aubs." He whispered in her ear.

Aubrey turned around and faced him. "I'll be waiting, Swanson." She said quietly. She stood on her toes and placed her lips against his, hands on his chest.

Jesse smiled his dorky smile before pulling Aubrey outside.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I don't know yet."

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"Whatever you want princess."

Aubrey giggled and blushed. She wrapped her arm around his as they walked down the road.

They were both pretty quiet as they walked under the starlit sky. It was cool out for being June. There was just enough of a breeze that sent chills through Aubrey. Jesse took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders as they walked. They didn't really know where they were going, but they were together, so they didn't really care.

"Are you alright?" Jesse periodically would ask.

Usually Aubrey would smile and nod, but her feet were hurting.

"I think I can fix that." Jesse told her.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked cutely.

"Here. Put my jacket all the way on really quick." He told her. "Okay. Now, hop on." He added as he bent down in front of her so she could jump up easier.

Aubrey laughed and quickly jumped up on his back. His arms quickly caught her legs as they wrapped around his waist.

"All better princess?" he asked.

"Much."

"Do you know where we are?" Aubrey asked, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Absolutely not."

"Oh." She muttered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am just getting tired. We had a long, exciting day, and I can feel the hangover coming on."

"Well, there's a hotel right across the street. Would you like me to get us a room, or do you want to try to get back to Chloe's?"

"I'll text Chloe later." She mumbled.

Jesse could hear how tired she was in her voice. "Alright let's go." He said quietly, making his way across the street.

"Hi, can we have one room, please?" he asked the worker.

She nodded and handed him the stuff to fill out. Meanwhile, Aubrey was sort of asleep, her head on his shoulder and her arms linked around him.

"Thanks so much." He told the lady as she handed him the key.

Jesse walked to the room and carefully opened the door, trying not to wake Aubrey up.

He set her on the bed, and she immediately woke up.

"Oh you're awake!" he said quietly.

She nodded and rubbed her eyes before looking around the room.

"Come on. Let's get some sleep." He told her.

"Wait one second." Aubrey told him.

She sat up and pulled off her heels she had been wearing all day and night.

"Here, can you unzip this?" she asked quietly, moving her hair out of the way from her dress zipper.

Jesse carefully unzipped her dress for her. She slipped out of it and put in on the desk so it wouldn't get all wrinkly. Aubrey quickly crawled under the covers and waited for Jesse. He slipped out of his pants and took his shirt off before getting into bed.

"We already sleep like a married couple anyways." She teased.

"As long as I get to hold you in my arms, I don't care how we sleep." He said quietly, kissing her forehead softly.

Aubrey kissed his nose gently before pulling the blankets up to her chin.

"Goodnight handsome."

"Goodnight, my princess." He whispered in her ear.


End file.
